An Act of Love
by Koromiel
Summary: Three children are fated to meet and become friends...maybe more. As a war with Karse is brewing, how will they be able to turn the tide with their growing ablilities? Rated T for blood and possible gore and language. We're hurting for reviews!
1. Prologue

Prologue:

An Act of Love

written by: phoenix2056 & koromiel

Disclaimer: First off, we do not own nor do we claim ownership of the world of Valdemar created by Mercedes Lackey. The characters in this story are our own, minus the mention of Lavan Chitward and King Theran from "Brightly Burning". If there have been similar characters like we have created that were written by her before, it was purely unintentional. So please don't sue us. We merely wanted to add our own touch by adding characters much like ourselves and we were totally inspired by her works. If Mercedes Lackey or any person representing her asks us to remove this, we'd be more than happy to. We just wanted to share our first writing collaboration with everyone. ) And so, on with the Prologue:

In Valdemar there are many legends and myths of a rich variety. There are the true legends which have been forged by heroes and by the common folk as well, who have sacrificed life and spirit for the land they love and the people within it. The myths are said by some folks to be mere invention influenced by real events from ancient times. These legends and fables recount stories of battles fought with the sacrifice of all the physical and spiritual elements at the peoples' command. And who is to say what is truth and what is fiction? There was the thrilling story of Lavan Firestorm. This legend, when recalled and recited by the Bards, the storytellers of Haven, would seem an impossibility, a myth to some. Yet it was one of the more inspirational and exciting stories told for some time; one of which the people of Valdemar knew to be all too true. Sacrifice was a vital component, and love was the catalyst in that famous conflagration which occurred at White Foal's Pass. This story could be said to have a tragic aspect, and it does, yet there emerged many unlikely heroes who contributed to eventual victory for the Valdemarans. I will tell no more of this story, I urge you at some time to listen in on the Bard's as they spin their tales, and you might be lucky to hear of it. The story will make you cry, and you will be transformed.

In contrast to the positive forces, and always a thorn in the side of Valdemar, there were the ruthless and cunning Karsites, the people of the Sun-priests. They were fearful of the people of Valdemar because the Heralds used the 'witch powers' so feared by the rigid and fundamentalist people of that evil kingdom. Oddly enough, in counterpoint, the Valdemarans feared the use of 'black magic' by the Sun-priests which they often employed with ghastly results in some of the more intense battles fought over the years. In essence it was all a matter of perspective, a matter of which side of the fence you were on as to how you viewed the world and its' strange ways. Two enemies could think in the same way, and fear the same things in each other, thus not realizing the folly and the futility in killing each other...

Despite the confusion, true good always eventually triumphed over evil.

This was the time of the reign of King Theran; an exciting time of changes and new growth. Of course there was always the disruptions which proved at times to be troublesome and ominous. During his reign, there evolved many of the more potent and useful 'mind magics' or the special gifts of the Heralds; inventive imagination was spurred on by a prosaic, yet urgent necessity. There appeared also during this time a proliferation of Herald-trainees who then went on to learn the ways of the Heraldry at the Collegium. This school was a fertile training ground for the skilled and gifted students of that renowned institution who had a variety of talents whether they be useful in the battlefield or for the conducting of political business. King Theran reigned over all this with a fair and true demeanor. When he spoke or issued an edict, people gladly payed attention.

To those who have lived in Haven and the surrounding country, almost anything was possible if one applied themselves ambitiously to the causes. There was plenty of inspiration and motivation to be sure as dictated by the Council of Haven and the governors of Valdemar. It was common knowlege, and a given, that the people of this land were driven by the force of love, loyalty, and hard work. It wasnt necessary to rule with a heavy hand. It wasn't necessary to issue almost impossible edicts or dire threats to arouse the people to action. Yet there was always the law present and the silent and aloof Heraldic guards to enforce it when necessary.

All were welcome and had a purpose in Valdemar, whether they be of the lowborn class or the highborn. And if a person wanted to learn and expand their abilities, and possibly even become one of the elite, he or she only needed to learn and develop their unique skills and talents and the Collegium was well suited for this. It was much easier for a highborn to accomplish all this simply because of their superior education and training to which the lowborn had little access to, though some of the more prominent Heralds were from the lowborn class. Located in the central part of Haven, the Collegium was exquisitely built with superb architecture which had functionality as well as pleasing aesthetics. There are the well cared for Gardens surrounding the school, which was a source of pride for those who volunteered their labor and love along with their special skills for landscaping and their knowledge of the fertile Earth.

It seems that love is the one common uniting element whether it be inherent in legend or myth. Love of life, love of friends and family, and a love for the land which supported such a rich and fertile heritage; all was a common denominator in the land of Valdemar. There are many tales, as told by the Bards, of love and sacrifice. There are stories of love being triumphant and stories of love with bitter and painful tragedy. And of course, there are the stories of romantic love, which when told skillfuly by the Bards, sometimes inspired a romantic union between two potential soulmates who formerly had doubt of each other and whom were tentative with their plans to marry. Stories of love were always welcome and cherished by the local populace.

And so it was that this land was built by sacrifice and love...and blood as well. Many tears had been shed and sweat from hard work or battle was endured. So many had died for this land willingly and valiantly. Yet, the sense of painful loss was eventually replaced by gain, a spiritual gain to those who still lived to futher maintain and develop this rich land of legend and myth. Love was never wasted, love was never vain in the land of Valdemar.

Sometimes it is the little things which matter and can have such an impact on the course of life. A river can be altered by a single rainfall. Sometimes a single word has been known to alter the fates of nations. Words have power and those who were of the ruling Council of Haven, were very aware of this and used their knowledge when explaining things to the populace. They knew that words used skillfully, could motivate the people to learn and build...and sadly though sometimes necessary, their words could inspire and rouse the people to help and fight in times of war.

One might even say that this land was saved again from the ruthless and evil drive of the Karsites by a simple act of love, not an all out assault.

Come with me my friends, for I have a tale to tell of sacrifice and yes, even a little comedy. Laughter has slain many an enemy... A tale to tell of a battle rich with heroics; a tale of power which love has a strong influence on. Yes, I am one of the Bards and a good part of this story is about the trials and tribulations of two people who under ordinary circumstances, would never have met. Fenix Morgaine, a fellow Bard, and Aine Myst, a skilled warrior and intelligent woman who was also blessed with exceptional beauty and a clever wit.

And to those who died for our rich country that this story may be told, I wish a peaceful rest. Let us always revere and carry in our hearts the memory of these valiant people. For if we forget, our hearts would wither and waste away. Our dreams would lose their wings. Love would fade away, dry out. Yet I am confident hope and faith shall prevail. Sunset will give way to yet another sunrise. Tomorrows promise shall become todays reality. Sit down now as I tell my story and make yourselves comfortable near the campfire...it is a lovely evening to which the stars bear witness of...

And so, let us begin...


	2. Tall Tales

Chapter 2: Tall Tales...

At first, climbing the big, tall poplar tree in the middle of the grove seemed like a good idea to Fenix. He hadn't seen it in a long time and the mighty giant was rumored to be over ninety feet tall. He gazed up at it's magnificence, the wind blowing through his unkempt brown hair. He felt queasy at the sight of the tree's intimidating height, and this prompted him to try and figure out how to get out of this disturbing predicament he somehow got himself into. This climbing of this particular tree was considered a rite of passage, an initiation of sorts, where if one was succesful, he or she would then be accepted amongst their peers. He was dared to climb this tree by his room-mates from the nearby orphanage west of here in Beldorn, and they were all intending to watch him do it very soon, if not at this very moment.

This ritual had been going on for about a year now and there weren't as many attempts made to climb it as was told to Fenix when they were daring him to meet the challenge of the tree. Actually so far, only six people had tried, with four of them being succesful. Only one boy made it up about twenty feet, then froze. There were some tense moments as they tried to coach him back down, but he finally made it back. Another boy didn't even get a chance to start. He looked up at the tree from right underneath it and passed out before he even took one step up. Whenever they went to the grove, there was an unspoken agreement that they wouldn't tell anyone where they were going or what thet were doing. Yet, some of the townsfolk had caught wind of some of this activity of course, and there was some discussion about it which led to some talk about the mighty poplar being cut down.

The boys and girls ranged in age from ten to seventeen and these were prime years for establishing a 'pecking order'. Of course Jewellyn, a girl who was very fond of Fenix (unbeknownst to him), was present and he did not want to appear weak and helpless in front of a girl, especially one about the same age as he; she was sixteen along in years, and he was seventeen. From Fenix's point of view, he viewed her as simply a friend, though he frequently observed her long, brown hair and arresting emerald green eyes, along with a lithe figure as very pleasing to look upon. At times like this, he wondered if _his_ appearance was impressive or not. He didn't think so. He was lanky, had too narrow of a face, and his flat, brown eyes as they appeared to him, were set too far down on his face. It was better to think more about her, so he did. All these thoughts inspired him to daydream yet again. During these times it seemed as if Fenix was totally unaware of what was going on around him. It was only a slight exaggeration to say that not even the finest of Valdemars' battle horns, when sounded at close range, could roust him out of this spell.

"Alright lets go!" they all chimed in unison . The leader of the bunch, Simon Dewwart, a lanky, freckled, bratfaced kid who always had a sneer on his face, motioned with a wave of his arm for the rest of the boys to follow him. Their shout startled him out of his reverie, and Fenix remembered with a sinking feeling of what he was about to do.

Fenix shifted his feet as all of his mates' eyes focussed on him. More and more now, this seemed like a very _bad_ idea. Of course Jewellyn was watching too and with a growing sense of trepidation he managed to eke out a few words, "I shall do so tomorrow, when I am more rested and my hunger is assuaged." He paused and looked down at the ground feeling very uncomfortable, then resumed his oratory of evasion, "Indeed, after I have consumed some restorative vegetables and fruits I will perform this daunting feat after dinner this very next day, at the time of the mid-day sun." Fenix almost always spoke somewhat poetically and this too, of course, was additonal fodder for taunting him. Bookish to a fault, it was a wonder he socialized at all; as a result he learned more of his diction from the poetic arts instead of from 'normal' conversation. His roommates and other cohorts frequently taunted Fenix, trying to bait him, knowing that he wasn't athletic at all. He was a favorite target because the other boys knew he wrote that 'mushy' poetry for girls. The townsfolk all said he did indeed seem to have a budding talent for the poetic arts and storytelling.

Now, of course, it seemed that this was a good time for the boys to start in again. They joined hands and begin to circle around him chanting, "Chicken, chickeennnnn, never will he climb/ the big tall tree/ as we all shall see!" Fenix knew they, with Simon leading them, were poking fun at his poetic skills. Simon was always the one who invented little poems of his own in an usually succesful attempt at a parody of Fenix' own. Fenix always felt an inner fear, along with some anger, whenever he thought of or saw Simon. Fenix noticed Jewellyn, standing there in her long, faded green dress, watching wide eyed in the background, looking quite concerned.

Mercifully, they now stopped their tease, and all the other boys were grinning and laughing at him as they ran off back to the orphanage. Some of them continued their taunts, "Chickeeennn, bawk, bawk, bawk bawk bawk!" Some of the boys imitated wings with their arms hooked and flapped them, while others jerked their heads back and forth and strutted in a circle. Finally, they moved on and disappeared over the hill and headed back to the orphanage which was only a couple miles away. At least they didn't have to worry about classes today because it was the first day of the end-week. About a couple of candlemarks had to have passed by now, he thought mournfully. Fenix Morgaine felt two feet tall and highly embarassed as well as helpless.

Jewellyn Dumont was still there, watching him with a worried expression on her face. Tentatively, she walked over to him, and looked at him as she asked, "Are you ok? I mean...will you be alright?"

He finally looked up, noticing how pretty she was in her long green dress, and speaking with a droll, deadpan manner, said, "I shall be fine when I finally accomplish the daunting task of climbing that intimidating poplar tree over yonder." He gestured with a theatric sweep of his arm towards the direction of the legendary tree.

Jewellyn tried with a valiant effort not to laugh at him by covering her mouth with her hand, but she couldn't help it, she laughed out loud, then asked, "Why must you always speak so poetically?" She tried with some success not to laugh again.

Fenix attempted an answer, "Well I venture it is because I immerse myself in the literary arts and I want to write poems and tell stories, so as a result my manner of--"

Jewellyn waved her hand, cutting him off in mid-sentence, "Do you mean to tell me Fenix that you wish to become a Heraldic Bard someday! You and I are both of the lowborn class, and unless a Companion chooses you, you have no chance of getting into the Collegium!" She sat down on a huge boulder which was nearby, waiting for him to say something. She had seen an example of one of his poems, but so far he had shown very few of them to anyone. She noticed the sun was well on its' way down, closer to the horizon of the deep blue sky.

Fenix almost started to daydream again. He thought, then said, "Well you see, I think--"

She cut him off again. She tapped the boulder with her hand and totally out of character for her, she boldly proclaimed, "Come Fenix, sit down with me and we shall be able to talk more"--

This time he cut her off and thundered , "Why do you always cut me off when I am trying to say something! " He had yelled so loudly and abruptly he shocked himself, and he noticed how negatively that affected Jewellyn, who now had her head down and was staring at her feet. He walked over near her and sat down on the boulder, and offered, "I am most sorry, I uh, normally don't raise my voice in anger. Please accept my apologies?"

She looked up at him with a kind of dazed sense of wonder and felt a little hurt as well. "I, I never knew you had it in you to become angry like that. I am the one who should be sorry. I 'm not exactly sure why I acted so rudely, it wasn't intended that way. I guess I was excited about the way you were talking and I was hoping to encourage you and I-" Unable to finish, she began to cry.

"Jewellyn," he attempted to explain, "I think I was extremely angry because of the manner of ill treatment inflicted upon me by those ruffians, and I kept it bottled up inside of me. Verily, I was so embarassed, and I didn't want to appear weak in front of you. So I attempted to be stoic and aloof and unfortunately that didn't work, as a result you became the target of my bottled up outrage. I am very sorry." Fenix felt a little better now. Yet, an uneasy silence formed between them...they both were thinking and feeling conflicting emotions.

All of this prompted him to remember of why he was very afraid to let the dark demon of anger loose from within himself. It was because of the way his parents had treated him when he was about three years younger, and this memory darkened his current mood even more. He remembered them constantly fighting, with verbal and physical violence being an all too common denominator. Almost always it seemed, he was caught in the middle of these arguments and sometimes he was the target of their violence. He came to view anger as a monster that needed to be repressed, almost at any cost. He also recalled how the appearance of unexplained bruises appearing now and then on his body inspired the townsfolk to be suspicious, and to speculate as to how these bruises came about, and why they were located upon areas of his body ordinarily not susceptible to bruising from normal day to day activity.

Something had to be done.

He was later told that finally, a wise relation whom he never did learn the name of, or ever saw for that matter, having not heard of this ill treatment before, spoke with the Heraldry and demanded a court edict to be issued whereby she could legally take custody of the poor child and then bring him to the orphanage. And so he never forgot the one day the Heraldic Guards came to his home upon their beautiful white horses bearing the official court orders. How quiet, powerful, and efficient these elite Guards seemed to be. When they took him away he recalled that his parents had hardly even noticed his departure...and they were still in there fighting amongst themselves after he did leave. The Guards later told him about when they showed his parents the court orders, of how they only seemed irritated by this intrusion upon their privacy and of how quickly they signed the court docket.

Finally, Jewellyn looked up with moist eyes, turned her head to look at Fenix and said, "I accept your apology Fenix, I know how kind and pleasant you normally are, and given the trying circumstances here it's really no wonder you reacted the way you did. So please, accept my apology too okay?" She always seemed to have a calming effect on other people...She was feeling an odd mixture of feelings, some new to her. It had to do with her concern for him...She looked at him expectantly and hopefully, awaiting an answer.

"Well, Jewellyn, it would appear that we both are reconciled for now," he said, feeling a little less tense now. He stood up from the boulder as he looked at her with a slightly amused expression upon his face. "Mayhap next time when we display our weaknesses to each other, we can both apologize again, it would be something to look forward to. It was kind of amusing, thinking about it now."

She winked at him and said, "Yes, the best part of any misunderstanding is making up afterwards. It's a lot of fun!" She smiled at him. Fenix also felt an odd stirring within himself...and he tried to wink back at her, but could not. He only succeeded in making an exaggerated furrowing of his brow, and in closing both of his eyes with the wink attempt. He did this two or three times with no success.

Jewellyn laughed uproariously, hardly able to contain herself. "You should have seen your face," here she tried to show him what it looked like by contorting her face and closing both of her eyes a couple of times, " you really make me laugh!"

Fenix couldn't help it, he began laughing himself. And then, noticing the darkening sunset, they looked at each other with startled eyes and said almost simultaneously, "Aunt Tildy! We have to get back to the orphanage!" And _that_ had the effect of sobering them up a little.

She hoped that Aunt Tildy, the matron of the orphanage, wasn't too worried about their whereabouts. They hadn't told her when they would be back because they thought they would be back home by the usual time. Jewellyn knew better though. She knew that was one of Aunties' pet peeves: not being informed. Again, she hoped, Tildy hadn't taken drastic action yet. So far she figured, they were late for supper by at least half a candlemark or so already, and the walk back would take approximately half a candlemark. Some said she was the crabbiest woman alive, but those who knew her viewed that as kind of an intended front; a behavior modification technique of sorts. To them, she was about the most loving person they had ever met. She knew very well what tough love was all about.

The sky now had become an amalgam of colors, with soft purples, deep blues mixed with bright orange, cinnabar, and crimson. The clouds nearest the crimson orb of the setting sun took on a flaming aspect, like clouds not with a silver lining but a fiery one. The delicate clouds furthest from the sun took on a pastel pink color swirled in with different shades of grey. The ragged gray mountains to the far east took on a pink tint. It looked like an impressionist painting. Of course, nature could do a much better job than the artists. In the fastest walk they could manage, they hurried back home towards the orphanage as the setting sun began to disappear behind the horizon.


	3. At the Orphanage

The Orphanage...

Inside the orphanage the smell of cooked stew permeated the air. The combination of talking, laughter, clinking plates and silverware, along with wooden chairs sliding in and out from the drab tables on the unfinished hardwood floor, generated quite a cacophony of sound. Now, a cough was heard...then someone else sneezed. Aunt Tildy hardly paid the noises much attention any more. She stood by the large and battered kitchen sink with her blue scarf and blue food-stained apron on. She didn't have the setting up of the dishes to be cleaned quite done yet, but she could do this automatically and worry about those two kids at the same time. She scratched her chin, which she always did when worrying and took a look out the small kitchen window. The sun had set and the sky was rapidly darkening. A few stars were beginning to appear behind the darkening clouds. She debated as to whether she should set Agister out on horseback to try and find or summon one of the Haven guards to find Fenix and Jewellyn; Agister Cadge though still young, was tough and very competent with the horses.

Somewhere, the sound of a breaking dish was heard. Someone shouted, "Ha, ha, no dessert for _you_ tonight!" This startled her out of her reverie a little, and she turned left to reach for the broom and dustpan hanging from the rusty hooks on the adjacent greystone wall. She fetched the broom with her left hand and immediately thrust it out to her left, and it was quickly grabbed by someone. She did the same with the dustpan which was also quickly snatched from her grasp without anyone saying a word. It wasn't necessary to speak at all as the children well knew what to do and when to do it.

She glanced towards the dining hall a little to see who dropped the dish or dishes and saw one of the girls running back into the dining hall, armed with the broom and dustpan. Her long plaid skirt flowed out behind her and her ponytail swayed back and forth as she ran along. That was Inos, the promising young girl who always seemed to know exactly where she was going, even if she was unfamiliar with the territory she ventured to. She never did lose her way, even if she was all alone and far into the deep dark woods nearby. Aunt Tildy knew some of the boys were confounded by this ability of hers and she smiled a little at the thought. She sometimes wondered though if Inos somehow had 'help' of some unusual kind, or perhaps it was one of those special skills she heard rumors about now and then.

Aunt Tildy almost never had to issue out orders anymore. The eighteen children of the orphanage feared her and respected her, and yet they knew they could always come to her in times of trouble. There was the time when that little boy Erwin first came in. He had arrived with nothing to his name. The clothes he did have on were in tatters. He looked very scared, to say the least. She had met him outside at first, like she always did. She figured he was only about eight years old. His dark black hair was obviously not cared for and perhaps was infected with lice. She had put on some leather gloves and looked through his hair carefully, and nope, he was lucky, there appeared to no signs of infection. Still, as soon as possible the boy was going to get a good bath. She had already dealt with lice before, and she recalled with disgust how long it took to get rid of the little devils...they certainly couldn't have been created by any of Valdemar's Gods. There was supposed to be a purpose for every living thing. But what would it be for lice? Lice, and such things as ticks and mosquitoes had to have come from Vkandis Sunlord, from Karse she figured.. Surprising her a little, an answer did come to her which made her grumble and quickly dismiss the idea. She had thought briefly that mayhap trying to get rid of lice was a test of character. Never again she vowed. The sheer amount of laundry and bathing which had to be done was not worth _any_ price.

Aunt Tildy noticed that haunted look in his lovely brown eyes, and an almost vacant expression on his face caused by a total absence of love and care for the boy's welfare. In fact the little boy was found wandering aimlessly on the outskirts of Beldorn. The Guards from the Heraldry had come upon him and later determined that not only had his parents abandoned him but they had abandoned their household as well. She felt anger build up in her. No matter how bad things get you _never_ abandon your children, she fumed silently. She tried not to let that feeling show to the boy. Her eyes moistened though. She bent down to talk to him but he shyed away. She stood up and tried to hug the little boy and held him close to her, trying somehow to convey a little sense of love...that someone cared. She walked near the front porch, took the boy inside, and sat down on a bench. It wasn't long before her shoulders shook, and she couldn't help it, she began sobbing, almost uncontrollably. The emotions aroused by the thoughts of this little boy being abandoned to be left on his own was very heartbreaking and disturbing. Then, her sobbing ebbed somewhat and she held the boy away from her a little, tears streaming down her face. The boy most likely had never seen or experienced that which just occurred. He gazed back at her with just a hint of a change in how he looked at her. Then, he reached for Aunt Tildy as if wanting to be held close again, and she did so gladly. They had remained like this for a while, then the boy finally fell asleep in her arms. Aunt Tildy didn't move and let the boy sleep there until he woke up...

It was a miracle really how she managed to meet the childrens' needs, especially considering the fact that she only had two other assistants from town who helped her feed them, helped her keep them clothed and clean, and of course they helped her keep the place itself clean and well maintained. The children always had their chores to do as well, which they almost always did without question or lapse of duty. If they did slack on their chores, Aunt Tildy quickly stepped in and reminded them of how if even one person neglected to perform their assigned tasks, that everyone else would suffer in some way. She sometimes told little anecdotes, or rather, moral fables. But, it was also the way she told her little stories that mattered as much. She was very good at it. With the proper use of gesturing, the raising and lowering of her voice at the proper moments along with the timing of the pauses for dramatic effect; all this combined to giver her orations _conviction._

-The Story-

Thinking of those two missing, who had not informed her when they would return, she recalled a story she had told the children about herself one day a couple years back and this caused her to smile at the reminiscence because it was a rather funny story. This tale was told by the Bard Ulwynn Fyyscher again not too long ago to the current generation of kids. Now and then he would come to the orphanage and entertain the kids with heroic ballads or amusing stories. Ulwynn was a large and round jovial man who not only sported red hair, but sideburns and a beard as well. He was one of the most recognized Bards of all with his fancy yellow silk leine and dark brown woolen breeches. He also had a mandolin strapped to his back and wore a bard's cap which he often tipped to greet passers-by, especially the women. Ulwynn was present at the first telling and enjoyed it so much it later became one of the staples of his storytelling...the tale as he told it after that caused quite a stir amongst the kids:

'As you all know Aunt Tildy is a stern but gracious woman and this happens to be an occasion where she presented both sides of her personality. Your Auntie was down in the kitchen and the children were eating lunch in the dining hall. As it happened, a couple of the children were derelict in their duties, failing to sweep the floor and failing to take out the garbage. Aunt Tildy, when informed of this by one of the snitches that all places seemed to have at least one of (here a couple of the children exchanged glances), at first became angry but then some of the kids noticed kind of a strange gleam in her eye, as if she was gearing up for something.'

Auntie walked into the dining room exaggerating her stride and stomping on the floor as she went, causing her gray curls to bounce vigorously beneath her blue scarf...all of a sudden, she clapped her hands loudly and shouted, "Okay, listen up children! You know how I feel when someone fails to do their duty here. I am not happy at all!" Here your Aunt Tildy paused, scanning the room with her penetrating eyes, causing the children to feel a little uneasy when they met her gaze.

She cackled a bit, then went on, "Now, there were three children here who aren't here now. And do you know why? I'll tell ya why," she boomed. "One of them failed to show up for breakfast, one of them did not clean up his room, and one of them caused quite a ruckus during breakfast, thinking he was very funny. I wasn't amused !" Your Auntie paused again to let the anticipation build, then said, "I meted out their punishment and they were banished to their rooms for one full day. I put them in solitary confinement!" Here, she quickly thrust one of her fingers up in the air. "With one exception!" she exclaimed. "They were allowed to come out when it was time to clean up the privies." She cackled long and loudly, displaying her lack of teeth; and then comically she screwed up her face and pinched her nose, making gagging sounds., and cackled again, rather hoarsely it seemed.'

At this point in the story you could see Aunt Tildy in the audience of children, shaking her head and trying not to giggle too loudly.

'Then she began to cough, making a sound much like a battlehorn each time she coughed. She doubled over, coughing and gagging and her face started turning red. We all watched and were getting very concerned to say the least. Auntie then stopped coughing and was beginning to turn an alarming shade of blue...She then shook her head vigorously causing her cheeks to flop back and forth, making a most unusual sound. Some bright fellow later remarked that it sounded like the 'pounding and slapping of bread dough.' Then, with her hands on her knees she took in a long, deep breath which whistled and wheezed quite loudly. A cyclonic intake of air it was indeed. We took some comfort in that she could take in some air at least. Still we all watched, terrified, and some of the children watched wide-eyed as she raised her arms and her head, then she released quite a volume of air and then slowly, resumed breathing normally.

"Well," she said, still gasping, "I think I need to go lay down for awhile, the rest of the story'll have to come later." We all breathed a collective sigh of relief. The meeting was over and everyone prepared to get ready for bed...'

'At any rate, the next morning, your Aunt Tildy allowed the boys to come down for breakfast. Into the dining hall they went. It wasn't long at all before a door was heard to slam. She was almost done cooking the gruel when one of the girls burst in from the dining hall shouting, "Those three derelicts just ran away outdoors!"

'With the proper incentive or motivation, your Auntie could blaze a trail. She burst out through the door to chase after the miscreants. Now you all may not know this, but your Auntie enjoys this kind of thing. So keep that in mind next time you break the rules and contemplate running away.'

Ulwynn winked at Auntie and she smiled back.

'She chased them as they aimed to run into the nearby forest. She raised her fist into the air, shook it, then exclaimed, "I'ma gonna catch up to you boys yet!" The boys entered the forest, with Aunt Tildy entering shortly thereafter. The chase continued. She was getting close to them when she tripped over a small boulder, causing her to make a swandive to the ground. She landed hard, winced, then she reached up to her nose and discovered it was bleeding. In fact there was quite an amount of blood all around her head. The boys look back and were very alarmed at what they saw. They began to walk towards Auntie, maybe hoping to help her. At this point from the adjoining trail, the Guards from Haven were seen by the boys. On horseback, they thundered down the trail, after the boys, so it appeared. They became bug-eyed, turned around and ran, their skinny little hinders a pumping away. One of the Guards went over and attended to Auntie. The other Guards eventually caught them of course. They returned with the boys as prisoners much to Aunties' delight. Auntie was brought back to Haven to get some much needed attention from the Healers there. They really didn't mind helping out the lowborn when it was necessary. The boys of course, were brought to the Detention Center on the outskirts of Haven,' here Ulwynn paused for effect, then resumed, _'where they remain to this very day.'_

The story appeared to affect the children nicely as they began discussing amongst themselves while nodding and shaking their heads. That the boys were still at the detention center was stretching the truth of course, but both Ulwynn and Auntie always agreed that a little 'white lie' now and then didn't hurt as long as it had a positive effect on the children's behavior and attitudes.

Bard Ulwynn, now having finished his tale and satisfied it had the proper effect, waved at Auntie with a knowing smile. As he turned to go out the door, all the children shouted their good-byes. Then he was gone, someday to come back again.

Aunt Tildy finished the setting up of the dishes as the children were finishing their tidying up as well. She was becoming increasingly worried... She knew they were quite capable, and knew how to find their way home but still...there were the rumours going around now about a malicious band of rogue bandits from the south (nothing like the thieves hired by the Heraldry, they at least had morals and a sense of duty) that were terrorizing the surrounding borderlands. They even at times had strayed further inland. These bandits, it was said, were totally ruthless and would stop at nothing to get what they wanted, including indiscriminate murder. She was told that they weren't Karsites though. It also was said they were evilly clever and lucky, and they knew the land very well, thusly being capable of finding the best hiding places. It all started very recently, and The Guards from Haven were investigating but so far nothing had been discovered. Looking out the window again now, she realized that about one candlemark had passed now since suppertime. Still...nothing. If only they would have informed her she wouldn't have fretted so much.

One of the girls had come, along with Mary, a plain yet good looking woman who was one of the assistants from town, to get the dishes cleaned. Aunt Tildy wiped her brow which was sweating not so much from the warmth as it was from her increasing anxiety. She thought about summoning Agister for the second time, cursing herself for not doing so earlier. Surely, about a candlemark and a half or more had passed by now, she thought.

She turned around, deciding to inspect the dining hall when there was a knock upon the front hallway door. She felt as if a bolt of lightning had shot through her and the noise made her heart jump a little. Everyone became very quiet. One of the elder boys went to open the door...and in walked Jewellyn and Fenix! Aunt Tildy stared and gaped at them as if they were ghosts. Jewellyn glanced down at her feet and Fenix could only manage to grin sheepishly. That grin disappeared quickly though because she came storming over and shouted, "Don't you two _ever_ do that to me again, you hear"

"B-but Auntie we didn't"

"I don't care what you thought," she thundered, "who knows what could have happened to you! And here I sit and wonder, imagining all kinds of terrible things happening to you" In the crowd of children were a few of the boys who had dared and teased Fenix. Of course, they were enjoying this show. They could have informed Auntie that they were lagging behind them and perhaps would be home a little later. Tears were streaming down her face now. "Not knowing what I imagined going on with you two was almost more than I could bear!" Couldn't you have told some of your friends to let me know?" Auntie had always said that children didn't really know the true meaning of fear until they had children of their own.

Fenix and Jewellyn were cowed and speechless. "Now I want you two to get to bed and I will think of some proper punishment! And I want you two to write down what you can do for me that shows you truly love me. Now go!" She waved her hand to shoo them off and they went to their beds. Jewellyns' was downstairs and Fenix' bed was upstairs. Auntie told all the children to prepare for bed, and that the evening meeting would be canceled. She was too exhausted. The children were delighted at this news, of course. As the cleaning, washing up, and getting ready for bed was being finished, she went to the front lobby to lay down and rest awhile.


	4. An Audacious Decision

AN AUDACIOUS DECISION

Downstairs, Jewellyn tossed and turned in bed. The moonlight was shining in through the dirty glass of the upper basement window. Her thoughts were restless. She was thinking about what Auntie had said about them showing their love for her and what they could do about it. Also...she found herself feeling a mix of emotions whenever she thought about Fenix. She felt a yearning, or an ache, which at the present seemed to have no outlet. Anxiety and puzzlement battled for control against the pleasant thoughts and feelings within her soul. She had a strong like for him and was beginning to wonder if this was what love was all about. Her stomach churned and roiled. She wished that love was more definable. She had thought, or had hoped, that love would be more thrilling, more idyllic. More like some of the stories she was told by her mother, or some of the poems Fenix wrote. Slowly her thoughts faded and she fell asleep.

Upstairs, Fenix was just as restless if not more. He watched the full moon rising in the distance with the moonlight streaming in through his window. The restlessness had little to do with Jewellyn, though she was pleasant enough, and was a good friend; but it had more to do with the taunting and teasing he endured about the climbing of the tree. This filled him with a little fear and anxiety, causing his stomach to churn and roil a bit. Why did I vow to climb that stupid tree tomorrow when I know darn well that I'm deathly afraid of it, and probably won't even do it? he asked himself. What am I to do? Also, the thought of what he was going to do to show his love for Auntie affected his state of mind. He had a deep love and respect for Aunt Tildy and felt bad that they had hurt her and scared her. They didn't mean to upset her, but, he admitted to himself, they could have found some way to inform her. Maybe they could have told one of the more symphathetic boys who were present at that time to send the news that they might be late...but still, it was that blasted tree that loomed in his mind that bothered him more. It became something that had to be defeated somehow, but he couldn't stand it if people saw him fail in the attempt. He wondered how many had really conquered this tree because the rest of the boys never said anything about it when asked.

An idea was beginning to form in his mind, an audacious one. He lay there and thought, well, _why don't I sneak out and climb the tree now? _A kind of test run as it were. There would be plenty of light provided by the full moon and he figured he could climb it, if he proceeded slowly and cautiously. Hopefully, no one would check on him while he was away. He got up out of bed and walked over to the window to look out at the tree. There it was, looking almost spectral in the moonlight; and somehow not so intimidating from this viewpoint.

He thought about climbing out the window and getting there that way...except there was one problem: he would have to jump down and from this height there was a good chance he'd at least sprain an ankle, though more likely he would have broken something and that would have gotten him nowhere. Some of the other boys who were more athletic could do it he supposed, but being athletic wasn't his forte. He briefly thought about tying his sheets together and climbing down that way but of course that had its' complications too; if someone did come up and check on him they would see a sheetless bed and then sound the alarm. Also, there didn't seem to be a decent place to tie the sheets to that would give him enough length to climb down. He scratched his head and figured he would have to sneak downstairs and then go through the door in the backroom storage shed to get out that way...but he'd have to be very, very quiet. Sometimes those dang stairs would creak at the worse possible moments. He knew this from the one time he tried to sneak down to raid the cookie jar. Auntie did not like it if children were up and moving about at odd hours.

So, he made up his mind then, he was going to do it. He tried as much as possible to make it look like someone was still in the bed by rearranging the pillow under his sheets. He surveyed his handiwork and decided it was suitable. He took off his pajamas, rummaged through the drawers for some heavier clothing as he knew it would be a bit cool out there tonight. Properly dressed then, he carefully opened his bedroom door oh so quietly, silently stepped out, and tried to shut the door behind him just as quietly. As careful as he was, the door shut with what sounded like to him a very loud _click! _He could hear it resonate and echo just a bit in the hallway.

He froze.

Surely someone had to have heard that. He could have sworn the beating of his heart was going to become audible too. He remained still for a brief span of time not knowing whether to continue or retreat. A few moments had passed, nobody seemed to have heard. Everything was still. He took a deep breath and moved on across to the stairs. He managed to get there quietly without someone having to get up and go to the privy, thus noticing him in the process; so far so good.

This was going to be one of the more challenging parts, navigating his way down the stairs. He approached the stairs cautiously and tentatively stepped down on one of the steps. Holding his breath, he succeeded with that one and moved out his other leg and stepped carefully down onto the next step. Letting out a breath now and psychologically preparing himself, he cautiously reached for the next step.

So far so good. He continued in this fashion until he was about a third of the way down; then he heard the unmistakable sound of a door being opened and then shut. He dared to look behind him up at the stairway entry from whence he had come, and wasn't very reassured when he saw the advancing, flickering light from a lantern casting a glow on the opposite wall as it was being carried along. He froze again, his heart pounding. The light got brighter and illumined the entryway even more as the bearer of the lantern moved closer to his destination, which Fenix hoped was the privies up there.

Then the light receded from the entryway as the person got to the privy, Fenix noted. Still not daring to move though, he heard the unmistakable sound of someone urinating in a bucket. This caused him to think of the worst chores they had: cleaning the privies. The thought disgusted him, but the light was coming back now, increasing in brightness in the entryway and on the wall behind it as the one who relieved himself walked back to his bedroom. But, he evidently had changed his mind as to his destination because the light only became brighter as he came closer to the top of the stairs. Fenix crouched down and tried to be still as possible. Then he saw someone's barefoot come down on the first step! It paused there for a brief time. Fenix could hardly contain his sense of panic. He tried to breathe quietly. He really did not wish to be discovered of course, while in such a strange position on the stairs and without his pajamas on. Not only would there be some awkward explaining to do, but he knew that whoever it was would feel compelled to tell Aunt Tildy; or he would have to think of a way to bribe that person into silence. Then, miraculously, the lone foot retreated! Evidently he had decided not to come downstairs after all and then the light dimmed down as he walked back to his bedroom. Fenix attempted to breathe a quiet sigh of relief.

The navigation of the rest of the stairway was thankfully without event; though he had to struggle to maintain the silence and the caution to insure it. The whole ordeal was beginning to cause an almost unbearable tension headache. At the bottom of the stairway now, he looked around in the moonlit 'living room' and saw the books on the wall to his left along with an imposing bust of Pallas on a nearby pedestal. In the moonlight, the bust of the Greek Titan looked kind of spooky with the pattern of shading and light on it, causing it to appear almost sinister. Fenix tried not to look at it as he carefully tread across the floor to reach the hallway straight ahead. Down the hallway there were two doors: the door to his left led to the dining hall and the door to his right led to the kitchen and then to his destination, the back storage room. He stepped carefully again as he went along. It seemed almost an eternity before he reached the door. He opened it and stepped softly into the kitchen and closed the door quietly behind him. _Almost there! _Have to be careful not to get too excited now, he silently reminded himself. It was easy to imagine being a burglar as he slowly moved on; yet besides being immoral, he didn't think he could endure the sheer agony of trying to be silent. Even just the thought of being caught assured him he wasn't cut out for that kind of life.

About three fourths of his way through the kitchen he stepped on something with a loud _crunch! _He froze; the sheer volume and the abruptness of the sound, nearly gave him a heart attack. Surely, Aunt Tildy would hear that, he thought with a high sense of alarm. With his heart in his throat, he paused. He knew Aunt Tildys' bedroom was at the end of that hallway where he had come from. A few anxious moments passed. He had luck with him tonight, evidently. It seemed that she didn't hear the noise after all, so now he walked a little more quickly, entered the gloomy and cobwebbed storage room, then felt around for the door which led outside. Another anxious moment, and he didn't even think of this when forming his plan, he tested to see if the door was locked. If it was, he figured he would have to abandon his audacious plan. At first it seemed that it might be, then it gave way without too much of a ruckus. I'm finally out, he thought gleefully. Well, not quite yet.

The first thing he noticed when he stepped out the storage room door was the dazzling brilliance of the full moon. He felt a magical sense of awe, almost feeling like he had stepped into some other fabulous realm. The brilliant orb was at the height of its' ascension, with the stars and the night-time sky forming a nice backdrop for it. He felt quite stirred by all of this and began forming poetic phrases in his mind as he moved along eastwards to the destination of the tree. I could compose a story too, he thought spontaneously as he walked along. He had almost forgotten about climbing the tree. It was, perhaps, about a couple of miles away. He listened to the pleasant sounds of the crickets and the toads in the background, and there were even a couple of fireflies flitting about.

He clambered over more hills and down winding paths, and then, there it was. He was standing on the hill looking down at the top of the feared tree as it loomed in his vision. He continued staring at it, and he felt as if it were some kind of mythic beast waiting for some audacious, yet daft person to be so foolish as to try and conquer it. He stood in awe and then figured he might as well get on with it. _Onward to my doom_, he thought with an audible sigh. Nevertheless he plodded on and finally arrived at the base of the tree. It appeared to him as bigger and taller than it was before. He looked up at the footholds starting at the base of the tree. There were more of them and they were arranged so that you would step on one then reach upward to grasp another one, and so on until you reached the branches which were at least ten feet up from the base of the tree. He steeled himself, then stepped on the first foothold, then reached up for the next one. He felt a queer thrill as he realized he was actually going to do this.


	5. A BRUSH With Fate

A BRUSH WITH FATE

Aine Myst was fully in control of all situations, except for those times when she became angry. This was one of _those_ times. When she was at the zenith of her anger, those around her, whether they be friend or foe, were in for quite a theatrical display of vocal and physical intensity; and woe to anyone who tried to intervene or get in her way. She had hoped a night-time ride in the dark woods near Haven on her precious stallion, Obsidian, would dissipate some of the pressure building up inside of her from the argument with her parents. This argument had to do with her intense desire of entering Haven and becoming one of the elite Guard, which her parents wanted to delay for another year. She wanted to get into the Collegium as well to learn how to become more skilled as a fighter or soldier, perhaps even eventually becoming a skilled Weaponsmaster also, but one had to be Chosen in order for that to happen.

Her parents wanted her to stay another year longer at the family business of selling leather goods, most of which was riding apparel for the many horses around. There were some fancy boots and vests available as well to the elite denizens of Haven. The last thing she wanted to do was become a merchant, much less one dealing in fancy leather goods for the rich snobs who occasionally came by the store...at least, they were snobs to her. The last thing she said to her upset parents as she stormed out the door was, "I want to do this! You can hire some lowborns to run the store, CAN'T YOU!" She really had nothing against the lowborn and even now she was beginning to have slight regrets about her angry demand. And that was that.

Realizing she had gone quite far into the woods now, near the lowborn districts, she thought of turning away; but that odd feeling or presentiment of danger encroached upon her yet again. She had been having vague premonitions for almost a month now, and she learned it usually had to do with danger; danger that hadn't happened yet. She could not exactly tell what the danger was but she usually could sense it's origin and direction. From her viewpoint, it was leading her to the western edge of the dark forest where there was an open grove and quite a tall tree all by itself. She realized, with some surprise, that someone was trying to climb the tree. She had seen the silhoutte of someone up there about a fourth of the way up. This must have been the source of the danger she had felt.

Fenix was feeling quite exhilirated and quite scared too as he navigated the treacherous branches on the way up. He was tingling with adrenaline. It was a miracle he had come this far. He figured he was a little more than a fourth of the way up. He looked out over at the moon and then back to the next branch slightly further up and judged it to be safe to climb on. He was breathing at a rapid pace and his heart was racing along with it. He wondered if he could really make it. He paused and then realized the more he thought about it, the more fearful and anxious he became. He tried to regain his composure and felt he could struggle on as long as he didn't look down, or too far up for that matter. Without warning, a breeze stirred through the tree, causing it to sway a little. It was kind of a sickening feeling losing his equilibrium, and he found himself gripping a branch and the bark of the tree with all his strength . His knuckles turned white as a result. Whatever composure he regained was quickly lost. Finally, the breeze settled down and he took in a few deep breaths. He looked at that same branch again and tentatively stepped upon it, testing it's strength. Seemed okay, he figured. He put his full weight upon it and the branch cracked and gave way as he lost his grip. Fenix slid down a few feet and roughly met some of the branches as he fell. One branch hit him full in the head. Then, he encountered a stout tree branch which luckily had caught him in the collar of his woolen shirt as he fell. In effect, the tree branch had rescued him from what could have been his immediate doom... He hung precariously from the stout branch with some of his weight being supported by the lower branches. He moaned in agony from the resulting pain. He couldn't help it; he was forced to looked down, and he felt as if he was quickly fading away. Then Fenix passed out.

Aine suddenly felt more of a sense of urgency and emerged out into the open grove. She could see that the situation had indeed taken a turn for the worse. She kicked the horse and advanced towards the tree at a faster pace. The situation didn't look right at all. It appeared to her as if the boy had fallen some and then was caught by a strong tree branch...but he wasn't moving. As she came up to the tree she really hoped that this person was still alive. What in Valdemar's name was he doing climbing a tree at this hour! She shook her head, disregarding the thought. Aine noticed the footholds ranging up the tree. Obviously this tree had been climbed before. She thought of the orphanage not too far to the west, but didn't draw any conclusions as of yet. She brought the horse to a halt, then quickly and gracefully dismounted near the tall tree and then tied Obsidian to a smaller tree nearby. As she looked up and at this situation at close range, she was even less reassured by what she saw. In the moonlit darkness it was difficult to be sure. It did seem to be a male, maybe roughly her age. His head was hung quite low and he was totally limp; not good signs at all. She couldn't tell if he was bleeding or not, but she supposed there would be. She cupped her hands and shouted, "Hey! _Move_ if you can hear me ok!"

No movement.

Louder, _"Can't you move up there?" _Immediately she realized how dumb that sounded. It was a good thing no one else was around to hear her.

She decided it was high time she try to do something. First, she checked to make sure she had her dagger, and it was still in its' leather sheath. She might need it on the way up, and most certainly would need it once she got up there. Then, as quickly as her feet would allow, she began to climb the tree. She was good at this sort of thing and was already at branch level rather quickly. He was still about twenty feet higher than she was. She quickly judged a few of the branches and then made her move. Reaching for one branch, she pulled herself up and hoisted herself up to the next branch, testing them first as she proceeded upward.

Halfway up there now she yelled, "Hang on! I'm coming to help you!" It occurred to her as she made quick progress that it was a good thing she had on a long sleeve woollen shirt on and her riding pants on, else she'd be sporting a good deal of scratches and bruises by now. She saw that there were still four branches to climb at this point. Looking up at him again she realized that she was probably right about the age thing; he was probably around fifteen, which would be one year younger than she was. She still couldn't tell if he was alive yet or not, but that feeling that made her stomach twist and turn was not relenting. She climbed up to his level now and indeed, there was a fair amount of blood on him and on some of the branches. Still, no movement. Hanging on to a supporting branch, she reached over and shook his shoulder a bit, and is head kind of flopped back and forth.

The situation looked grim but Aine was determined to get this guy down from the tree, whether dead or alive. She was a tough girl and was hardly known to have ever given up on anything. Her eyes moistened a little at the thought of this young man slowly dying up there and suffering, yet she still held out a slim chance for his survival. Of course! He is only unconscious, she thought with some hope. She judged it still would be a couple hours before the moon set down ahead of the coming dawn.

Now she raised his head and shook him a little again, and his eyes flashed open! Startled, she gaped at him but it seemed more like an automatic reflex than anything, as the eyes and his face lacked any expression. Then he closed his eyes and resumed his seemingly unconscious state of being. She noticed that he probably wasn't that bad looking of a guy. He wasn't very muscular...though at least adequately so she figured. She thought with a smile that some guys had too many muscles, including the ones in their head which tried to serve as a brain. She shifted her weight again on the branches to make herself more comfortable.

She leaned carefully near him again and this time she slapped him fiercely and shouted at him. She did this twice and then when she thought she was going to have to carry him down as he was, she saw that there was movement! He groaned and stirred a little. And opened his eyes. He was still too dazed to comprehend anything. She felt more animated as she figured that now, she just might be able to bring him down. "What's your name?" she asked eagerly.

She only got a moan from him as a response. He heard her though and that was a good sign. She became more hopeful; still, it would probably be a while before he came around fully. "Would you be able to hold on to me long enough so that I could bring you down?"

He seemed to nod his head in the affirmative yet could not articulate a vocal response. She waited a bit and then he began to stir a little more. He actually looked over at Aine now, but it was obvious he couldn't focus his vision as of yet.

Fenix was coming to some sense of awareness now and could feel the resulting pain. He looked up a bit and tried to make sense of what he saw. In and out of focus he vaguely saw a dark figure near him which moved around a little but couldn't make out more than that. Had someone offered to help me get down? He couldn't seem to answer his own thought. He heard someone shouting at him as if from a distance...I must still be alive...

"I want to know if you think you could hold on to me long enough to get you down!" Aine exclaimed. She saw that he was responding a bit more now and even looked at her again and he tried to move around a little, nodding his head in the affirmative again. Though she figured he was not yet totally aware of his surroundings, perhaps he could hold on well enough to get down. She thought it would be prudent now to cut him down from his precarious position. She cut a little at the collar while holding him steady. She moved carefully a bit closer to him, mindful of the branches and her balance. She turned her back toward Fenix, then she told him to try and put his arms around his neck. Then she told him to clasp his fingers together as well...To her amazement he did just that. She took the length of the cut away collar and it was just long enough to tie his wrists together. She did this in the event he lost consciousness again. Evidently he was coming around a little more rapidly now. Then she explained to him to clamp his legs around her, thus riding her piggyback fashion. It was certain to be rough going, to say the least.

Fenix was now able to do as instructed even while he was still in pain and slightly dumbfounded by the shock of the fall. He would feel much more pain later tomorrow. He had no idea who this saviour was who seemed to come out of nowhere. All he could manage to think of right now was to hold on tight.

Aine figured this task would be almost impossible, but if anyone could do it, she could. She knew she had great agility and alacrity along with her strength. She knew though that she was going to have to pick the branches more carefully than before. She attempted standing on one of the thicker branches below, as she held on to a nearby supporting branch. She stepped down carefully upon it, testing the strength of it. Only about twenty more feet to go, she thought to herself. The thought was less than reassuring, thus she vowed to herself she wouldn't think about it. One branch at a time...she reminded herself. She was thankful as well for the moonlight, it would have been a bit more tricky going in total darkness. Trying to find room to squeeze down through the branches was going to be no easy matter either. She put their full weight upon the branch now, stepping on it as close to the tree as possible. So far, so good. She looked down again and this was going to be a tight squeeze to get down through through this set of branches. She thought for a moment, and then about the only recourse, she figured, would be to ask Fenix to temporarily let go with his legs. At this point she was doubly glad she thought of tying his wrists together with the strip from his collar that she had cut off. "Ok! As we go down to this branch below I am going to ask you to let go with your legs until I step down on that branch. Then try and put your legs back around me, okay?" Aine wasn't sure if she was going to get an answer or not, but as long as he understood and complied, it was more than she could ask for.

It was hard for him to think as clear as he would have liked, through all this pain. He wondered more now who this could be as the voice didn't sound familiar. Yet he was beginning to wonder if this voice was male or female. It was hard to tell. Whoever it was had a strong lean build, but at this point so far he had no indication of any telling factor, whether it be through touch or hearing.

He nodded his head and startling her, he whispered, "You can do it."

"I think the better question would be, could you do it, can you hang on?" She smiled a little at what he said. "I'll be just fine thank you." Aine felt a bit more relieved at his response though and thusly gained a bit more confidence. She judged her step down to the next branch and braced herself. At this point, she told him to let go with his legs. He did so, but Aine was unprepared for the sudden weight change; especially when it was all hanging from her throat. She suddenly panicked a bit. With much effort and concentration (not to mention a long held breath), she somehow managed to step down on the branch and it mercifully held. She grabbed on to a nearby branch for support. She struggled, lungs burning, trying to gain his attention before turning blue. Thankfully, she got through to him and he put his legs back around her. Her lungs were thankful. She continued in this fashion, branch by branch, struggling mightily. She began to wonder if she could hold on long enough.

After much effort, they had actually succeeded getting down near to where the footholds began. She knew this was going to be the defining moment. She figured she was roughly about ten or twelve feet above the ground. She thought maybe she could have risked having them both jump down at this point, but she wanted to get closer to the ground to avoid injury. Okay just do it! she thought to herself. It was now or never.

"We're almost there." he whispered again.

This seemed to motivate Aine a little and she carefully stepped down on the next foothold, praying it would hold. It did. She really thought that she couldn't hold on much longer. She wanted to go down one more. Holding on and stepping down she reached with her foot and began to place her weight on it when, without warning, her weight began to shift. Before she knew what was happening, she lost her equilibrium as they made a not-so-graceful decent to the ground. They tumbled down about eight feet to the ground landing in a rolling heap. Somehow Aine ended up on top of Fenix. He grimaced and moaned. How much more could he take, he wondered. As far as he could tell there were no broken bones. He looked up at Aine and realized that this person felt a little different to him. A little softer in some areas...He began to feel a little stirring down below the belt. He had felt that before, but this was a different circumstance.

"Funny we should meet like this eh?" She said , flashing a grin at him. "Aine Myst at your service!" She was breathing rapidly from all the effort and was very exhausted.

"You--you're a _girl!" _He tried to roll a little and shake her off.

"Oh. Want to be rid of me so quickly I see..." She rolled off, and was barely able to stand up. She proceded to dust herself off; but with an accidental glance in the wrong direction, she suddenly became a little wide eyed and pointed down at him and covered her gaping mouth with her hand.

He looked down to where she was pointing and became wide-eyed. "Wha, wha, wha?" he stammered. He turned a deep shade of red, embarassed. He quickly stood up and tried dusting himself off as if that would somehow help. He didn't know what to do or say. For some odd reason he felt compelled to salute her. "I am s-s-s-s-s sorry, very sorry my lady...for-forgive me please," he somehow managed to blurt out. He wanted to run away and hide, but he couldn't, he was paralyzed with fear.

She doubled up in laughter when he saluted her; that was it, she couldn't contain herself anymore and fell to the ground. She hadn't died from any injuries, but she felt like she could almost die laughing.

Now he turned an even brighter shade of red. He found himself fidgeting; it had been a while since he felt so...humiliated. Yet it was only yesterday that those other boys had taunted him, but this embarassment with her was somehow different, more acute in a way.

He also felt like he had suffered a terrible beating with the episode of that stupid tree...yet this Aine, she somehow rescued him...how had she known that he was in a desparate situation? She is very pretty...he noted mentally. Those cobalt blue eyes...Her short blonde hair tied back, with a lean and athletic figure, along with a sunny disposition; all combined for a nice effect...yet he had the impression it wouldn't be a good idea to cross her.

Looking at her now, it was easy to imagine her growing into a stunningly beautiful woman.

"Hey you! come back down to _this_ side of Valdemar okay?" She smiled coyly. "Help a lady up _won't _you?"

He walked up to her and extended a hand, she grasped it then stood up.

Aine looked at him, still smiling. "What's your name?" she asked. She waited for a reply only to hear nothing as yet. "Hey! I just asked you what your -"

"My name is...Fenix," he finally managed to say. He looked up at the moon and felt a little panic. It would be dawn soon and Aunt Tildy would-

"Glad to meet you Fenix. Now what in Valdemar were you doing climbing that tree at _this time _of night?" she asked with her hands on her hips. The horse neighed a few times in the background and shook it's head impatiently.

Her question reminded him of why. How could I forget that? he thought with a slight sense of apprehension. He had promised, like a fool, that he would climb that tree...and that was now today. "Well you see I er uh...well..." he stammered. "It's a long story and its getting late. I must get back to the orphanage." He figured he had just enough time to get there to avoid discovery. The thoughts of facing Auntie with his reply to her demand about how he would show his love to her, and the climbing of that tree, loomed large in his mind right now. And I haven't had any sleep yet, he thought, feeling more miserable now.

"Ah I see, one of those_ longggg _stories," she said mockingly. "Well next time we meet Fenix you have some explaining to do. I will very much look forward to meeting your aquaintance again soon. Now...close your eyes!"

Oddly, he found himself doing just as she instructed. Then, startling him, she kissed him on the forehead. He felt an almost instant change of feeling wash over him; somehow this was very pleasant and he could easily imagine himself drifting along helplessly into dreamland...

"Well Fenix!" Fenix jumped at her exclamation. "We will meet again, I am sure of it. And lets hope it will be under more pleasant circumstances!" she said with a smile. She turned away to go and retrieve her horse.

Still feeling a little drugged from that kiss, he replied "Yeah, I will look forward to that," he felt again that strange urge to salute her, but resisted this time.

She mounted Obsidian and the beautiful black horse rode off into the darkness towards the woods.

Fenix stood there, still kind of dazed and very sore too. Also he was becoming very tired...Well feet, no use standing here, he told himself. The moon was almost setting and maybe, just maybe, he had a candle mark or two to get back home, if luck was on his side.


	6. A Meeting With Aunt Tildy

Fenix made it back up to his room without having to be quite as careful this time. He figured if he did run into somebody he could easily just say he was restless, being as he was heading back to his room. In his room he lay there with a myriad of thoughts swirling in his mind. He tried to fall asleep but instead he wondered how Jewellyn would fare with her reply to Aunt Tildy's request. He thought he had his end of it worked out fairly well. He had written his part out, but figured he would tell most of it. Finally, he fell asleep.

Before he knew it, the shouts for them to awaken were already underway. The assistants would go around knocking on doors, yelling for them to 'get going'. They knocked on Fenix's room and he almost jumped out of bed. He felt like he was hardly aware or intact as of yet. He rubbed his eyes and stumbled around looking for his clothes. He thought of how hungry he was, and that reminded him of the meeting with Aunt Tildy.

Downstairs, in the basement rooms, Jewellyn was waking up as well. She crawled out of bed and immediately her stomach began to make the usual demanding noises. She couldn't wait for breakfast and wondered what Fenix was going to say in their meeting with Auntie. She got dressed and she walked upstairs to go to the bathroom to wash up.

On the main floor was a raucous of sound and quite a bit of activity. The two assistants from town were scurrying about. Breakfast time was by far the worst as far as noise went. There was steam issuing forth from kettles and fry pans, and babbles of conversation bubbled up from the crowd of children who were eagerly awaiting their morning gruel. On some days they were lucky, and warm blueberry muffins would be handed out.

Aunt Tildy was busy in the main part of the kitchen. Almost simultaneously, Fenix and Jewellyn emerged into the dining hall and joined the rest of the children for breakfast. They looked at each other, and exchanged glances with Aunt Tildy who was now stirring one of the battered kettles which contained the roiling gruel. She had that stern knowing look on her face which always conveyed that hers was an authority to be reckoned with. Then, they sat down at the long table, awaiting their breakfast.

Some of the boys who were present at the taunting of Fenix yesterday, including Simon, pointed at him and Jewellyn too, snickering, gesturing at them, and in general, having a grand old time; at least from their point of view. Simon made weird faces at them for good measure. He knew his presence and actions intimidated Fenix and irritated Jewellyn even more.

After a good, hearty breakfast, Fenix and Jewellyn attended to their chores. Fenix had to take the garbage out, while Jewellyn swept the hardwood floors. They dawdled just a little, without even realizing it; semi-consciously attempting to delay the inevitable. Then they crossed paths in the dining room, sat down at one of the long tables and discussed a little about the upcoming meeting.

"Well did you"- they both said simultaneously. They glanced at either briefly, giggled a little, then they broke off the eye contact. This was followed with a brief period of silence where it seemed as if either one was afraid to speak first. Fenix noted how nice she looked with her light brown dress on. The collar and the end of the sleeves had a nice lace trim without being too gawdy. "Yeah well, most likely she'll step in any time now," he said somewhat morosely.

"I've given it a lot of thought," said Jewellyn. She looked up at the ceiling, as if looking there somehow helped her to think. "I think I know what Aunt Tildy was trying to tell us with her demand to us that we express how we loved her." Here she stood up, then looked back down at he floor, took a couple of steps, then turned her back to Fenix. "I think love, to her, is either proven by actions...or not. When we were late the other day I know it wasn't totally our fault, and really, as we found out it did no good to argue the point with her. I think Aunt Tildy, more than anyone else I know, proves her brand of 'tough' love to all of us with her actions. I am certain she feels that deep down inside, if necessary, that she would even sacrifice her life to save one of us."

Not many people, and no-one at the orphanage knew about what Jewellyn's father, Leonard, had done to save her life one day...she would never forget. She really felt like bursting out in tears when she visualized what had happened to him. She saw it all too clearly. At first, she never thought she would recover from the emotional trauma. Fenix stood there reflecting. He was thinking about some of the same things, yet Jewelyn was putting it all together very nicely. "In other words, as far as she is concerned, all the talk in the world would do little to prove anything unless it were followed by actions. She"--

Jewellyn interrupted again and laughed as she said, "Well obviously Fenix, thats what I've been saying all along here, do you have your head in the clouds yet again?"

This time, Fenix wasn't upset about being cut off by her in mid-sentence. He realized that it was a reduntant thing to say, after all. He smiled at Jewellyn and said, "Your observation was correct, my dear. That appendage at the top of my neck was floating up in the nether regions of the air again, where the clouds lazily dwell. You would think that by now I would have quite a lengthy neck." He paused, expecting her to go on. Somehow when they talked, she always had this effect of calming him, making him feel more relaxed.

She laughed a little, visualizing Fenix with a long neck. "I think it is true unconditional love. The kind that, no matter what the ones she cared for have had happen to them, or no matter what they did, that she would always keep the door to her heart open for them. I think she has faith that love can conquer all eventually; maybe not right away, or maybe not exactly how she wished it would; just that it would _someday_ reconcile all things. When I think of this, it kind of makes me want to cry a little." Jewellyn's eyed did moisten, then she continued, "I think we could use a lot more Aunt Tildy's in this world. With this being the second day of end-week, I think we should give her a day off from everything and let her relax. Also, we could do it more than just once. In this way we could show her our love with action."

Fenix stared at her, being amazed at the depths of her conlusions. With his hopes of being a Bard someday he hoped he could wax as eloquently as her about the puzzling ways of love. "Alright, lets go tell her, then-" At this point, Aunt Tildy burst into the room, slamming the door behind her. She strided forcefully to the table where they were sitting. She had that stern look on her face again.

"Alright you two lovebirds, why aren't you doing your chores?" she asked Besides the shock they felt at her loud and abrupt appearance, they glanced at each other, feeling uneasy at the mention of the word 'lovebirds.'

"But Auntie," Jewellyn offered, "we were just talking about figuring out what we could do to prove our love for you. And we've come up with something I think you will like." Auntie shook her finger in the air, shaking her head in a negative fashion. "If you are doing it just to appease me, forget it!" "Sometimes the way you kids come up with bright ideas, only to forget about them later..."

At this point, Jewellyn stood up abruptly, knocking the chair backwards and causing it to tip over loudly on the floor. Tears were streaming down her face. She thrust her arms down by her side as if emphasize her point. "We've given this a lot of thought and I can't believe you would dismiss us so casually!" Aunt Tildy raised her eyebrows, being slightly dumbfounded at this emotional display. Fenix thought about some of the things they had done to her. Had they not, on more than one occasion, casually dismissed her and her feelings?

Jewellyn resumed her emotional tirade, "You know darn well we love you, we would do anything for you, in fact we love you so much, we would, we would"- Here she couldn't contain herself any longer. She cried loudly, covered up her face with her hands and quickly turned around. She felt as if she could run away, but at this point she was rendered helpless by her emotions.

Aunt Tildy came up behind her, and put her hand on Jewellyns' shaking shoulder. A tear rolled down from her eye now. "You would even sacrifice yourselves, if it were to somehow save me."

Jewellyn turned around to face her, still sobbing. "Yes! that's just what I was going to say!" Auntie reached out and tried to hug her. Jewellyn accepted and embracing, they cried together a little. Fenix couldn't help it, a tear rolled down from his eye. He felt the same way and would do anything for Auntie. He watched them together, feeling strong emotions well up inside of him. They settled down a bit then, sat down and joined Fenix at the table.

Auntie looked at them with a much softer expression on her face and said. "I'm really sorry for being so rude like that. I guess sometimes even I forget how ill thought out words can hurt. I hope you can accept my apology for not even giving you a chance to finish what you were going to tell me." She held out her hands and looked at them both questioningly.

Fenix and Jewellyn nodded. "Of course we can accept, " Fenix replied. "On a couple of occasions we have been thoughtless as well, we hope you can accept our apology. What we want-"

"On only_ two _occasions!" she said with mock surprise and raised eyebrows.

This caused an uneasy look between them , they fidgeted, and Fenix said "Well, we were only speaking..." Aunt Tildy cackled loudly here, startling Jewellyn and Fenix. As she continued to laugh they looked at her with concern. _Hopefully she won't go into one of her choking episodes here, _Jewellyn thought to herself. "What we want to do Auntie, is to give you a day off from the chores, at least once a week." Jewellyn said. "You work so hard for us, sacrificing yourself, that we want to help you out. We can sacrifice as well."

Aunt Tildy replied, "Well of course it isn't a contest, nor is it a tit-for-tat kind of thing." Here she raised her finger in emphasis, "But I know you mean it from the heart and that makes me feel really good about it all. Of course if you screw something up, I'll be lurking about," here she paused for effect, then resumed, "in case you need any help." After that, they all felt better with things being smoothed out. Fenix went up to his room just to lay down for a bit. Of course, as Fenix knew, there was always more going on just around the corner. He thought about later in the day when they were all going to meet at the tree again.


	7. At the Tree Again

A test of character...

Part 1: The Prelude

When Aunt Tildy was told by Fenix that he and Jewellyn were going to meet by that tall poplar tree, with some of the boys from the orphanage in attendance, she wasn't totally surprised. She had heard tales that some of the boys had indeed climbed that tree at least a half dozen times. Sometimes, word spreads around. She figured that one of the boys couldn't keep quiet about his spectacular feat of daring, and told someone, who then proceeded to tell someone else, and on and on...Some of the townsfolk were very concerned and there was talk about cutting the tree down. So far, nothing had been done. Some of the townsfolk were of the attitude 'boys will be boys.' Also, some pointed out that they would have to take down many trees or plow over many dangerous areas, in an effort to make things safer, which wouldn't leave much of the land intact at all. However, if someone did fall and die as a result, there would be much hindsight and regret that nothing was done.

So, when Aunt Tildy, having been informed of what they were about to do, did or said little to intervene; Though she did say many prayers to Valdemar's Gods when they left. After that, she decided to occupy herself with the laundry. It was a grand day to do it, there only being a slight breeze along with the pleasant, warming sun riding high in a rich blue sky. Also she would confer with her two assistants again to see what other trouble might be brewing. Auntie knew to never rest on her laurels.

Part Two: Will he do it?

Fenix took in a deep breath as they came upon the hill. It was a bit more difficult for him to climb the hill this time because he was sore and stiff from his bout with the tree yesterday. A few more steps and the imposing tree loomed into view before him. He stared at it, and to him it truly became something mythical. The tree had also become something archetypical within his spirit, since he had seen it last, as something psychologically symbolic that now had to be overcome.

Jewellyn tapped him on the shoulder from behind making him jump a little and asked, "Are you _really_ going to try and climb that tree?"

"Why? Don't you think I can do it?" he asked as he turned around. His tone of voice betrayed a little irrititaton at what he thought was her implied doubt.

She glanced downward a little and replied, "Well perhaps I should have asked more clearly. I mean do you think it is really_ necessary _to climb that stupid tree?" She was beginning to get those feelings again, not of her own.

Fenix couldn't but help notice how her long brown hair reflected the sunlight, almost giving it a golden aura. "Well Jewellyn," he said with a slight smile, "it seems that it has become a symbol of something within my spirit which I must someday overcome. It is as inevitable as rain during a thunderstorm."

Jewellyn blinked at that last statement.

"I must succumb to the challenge someday," he continued with his soliloquy. "Lest it become a painful thorn in my spirit."

Jewellyn rolled her eyes. "There you go with that silly poetic diction again," she said, laughing a little, "you really have to learn to speak more within the local dialect." Yet, deep within, she was feeling emotions that were foreign to her experience at one time, which she now realized were feelings of someone else, in this case, of course, Fenix. She could feel his angst, his anxiety, and even fear when he was projecting ahead the possible outcomes of what he had to do here. She had some of these vague feelings before, whether it be with Fenix or with someone else. It seemed that somehow, she gradually realized more often lately, that at times she could feel within herself, the emotions and the joy and pain of others.

Fenix had to laugh a little too. Inwardly though, his feelings were going in a different direction. I wonder if I'll ever overcome that stupid, fancy speech. Also, the fact I get this inner fear, or block, whenever I think about defending myself, or whenever I think about trying to help someone in danger. Something doesn't connect and I freeze, unable to do anything...

They briefly exchanged glances and looked down at the tree. The other children from the orphanage hadn't shown up yet.


	8. Aine's Decision

A tough decision by Aine.

Aine Myst lived in a fancy, well designed, yet modest manse compared to some of the houses here in the northwestern highborn district of Beldorn. It was located near Haven, of course. Tanglewood Forest lay to the southwest a bit. The manse yard was nicely designed, with well placed rocks and small boulders on the terraced landscape of the garden making fancy border decorations along the winding paths. There were many colors and varieties of flowers. Here were blue irises, red tulips, along with yellow daffodils, and white roses. There were a few bees flying lazily by, occasionally stopping to visit some of the sweeter flowers. It was very quiet at the present time and it was an exceedingly beautiful and idyllic Valdemar summer on this last day of endweek.

Aine was on her way back from delivering and selling some of the more practical leather goods this time; with belts, gloves and yeoman's pouches being some of the proffered fare. She was enjoying this pleasant ride on Obsidian's strong back as she skillfully guided the horse along the cobblestone streets. Obsidian's gait had slowed to a flat walk now, carrying them smoothly along. There is some benefit to delivering leather goods to neighbors here and throughout Haven, she reflected. She loved seeing the Heralds of Haven, with their pristine white uniforms and their hauntingly beautiful white, almost ghostly horses. _Well,_ she thought to herself, _someday, if I can get into the Guard, I will at least be near it all..maybe I'll even become a Herald someday if I'm lucky..._

Aine drew nearer to the household, then circled around back to where the barn and stables were. She dismounted, then brought Obsidian, named so because of his intense black color, to the stalls. She led him in the barn and tethered him to one of the supporting posts, allowing him to feed on some hay. She patted him on the head., and then, all of the sudden it occurred to her; _if I were to become a Herald, of course I would have to find something to do with Obsidian. I would have a Companion instead..._Obsidian was the most friendly, loyal horse she had ever known or rode. She thought she sure would have a hard time dealing with...giving him up. These thoughts made her eyes moisten a little. She patted Obsidian on the head again. _Maybe, just maybe we can figure something out old boy..._

She dreaded going in as it was almost time for the noon meal and she knew there would be more talk about what her parents thought she should do with her life.

Inside the manse, Aine's mother, Constance, was busy putting the finishing touches on one of her more splendid meals. Steam billowed out from worn yet fancy kettles. The odor of burning wood from the large iron stove wafted throughout the kitchen as well as the smell of skillfully cooked wildfowl.

Aine's father, Gerard, was in the dining room already, sitting at the table with the ornate and delicate fringed tablecloth on top of it. Some of the finest crafted silverware made in Haven was laid neatly on cloth napkins. He was smoking a well carved wooden pipe, studying the accounting books and studying some of the new orders with regards to the family business. Smoke drifted lazily throughout the room.

All _seemed_ pleasant and quiet.

Aine came in the front entryway, slammed the door behind her and immediately winced. She braced herself for some of her Dad's nerve racking yelling. She prepared to mock and mouth his words as he spoke them. Father was very predictable. "How many times have I told you not to slam that door, you are going to ruin it," he thundered, his voice coming from the dining room and reverberating throughout the house, "you _know_ I don't like that, so don't do it!" She mocked some of the faces he made when angry as she finished mouthing his words. Aine felt a little anxiety in anticipation of the mid-day meal with them.

"Is that you Aine?' Constance shouted from the kitchen.

"Yes Mom." Aine took off her riding boots and some of the other riding gear before

going into the dining room.

"What'd you say Aine?"

"Yes mom its me!" she shouted.

"Well who _else _would it be traipsing in here, not knocking and slamming the door shut like that?" Gerard said with an edge of irritation. He took a puff on his pipe and returned to looking at one of his business ledgers.

Aine rolled her eyes, All is pleasant as usual with father and mother I see, some things never change, she mused.

In the kitchen Constance thought of replying with a rebuff of her own, thus putting him in his place yet again. _Hmmm, perhaps not now, you have to time these things just right. It wouldn't do for Gerald to get wise to my game. With men, and Gerard in particular, discretion and timing are the keys to getting my way. S_he smiled at her own thoughts. She finished getting all the food together and was preparing to bring it out into the dining room.

Aine took a chair in the dining room, looked at her father busy with the books and said as brightfully as she could manage, "Hi Dad, how is it all looking?"

He took another puff on his pipe, adjusted his wireframe glasses and without looking up he said, "Hmph, were getting by, we're getting by."

She paused before she sat down at the table. She opened her mouth to say something in reply but thought better of it and sat down. She fidgeted with the silverwear. She had a sense that they were going to argue again, and she very much wanted to avoid that. As a result, she could feel the tension building up inside of her. She fidgeted uncomfortably in her chair. Dad looked up at her, almost as if she were a piece of dirt. He didn't say anything, but his piercing gaze made her fidget even more.

Thankfully, Constance came in, which served to break the tension. "Dinner is ready," she cheerfully announced. She brought in a turkey from the local butchery, and it looked superb with all the trimmings. She set this down in the middle of the table. Steam was still coming off of it and it's pleasant odor filled the kitchen. She walked briskly back into the kitchen.

Aine watched her and smiled. Her mother was very special to her. If it weren't for her, she didn't know if she could have put up with life here. She knew Dad probably meant well, and he worked hard, but he had an outer shell as hard as the best armor made in Valdemar. Not much seemed to get through to him, and he never revealed too much about his feelings either. She could never seem to connect with him, and she so desparately wanted to. She wondered, not for the first time, if she really was like her father as Mom suggested once. She rankled at that comparison and told her mom that no way would she ever be like Dad. When Aine had said that, she remembered her mother smiling and shaking her head as if to say, 'it's inevitable my dear.'

Constance burst into the dining room with more food. She placed steaming green beans on the table and some corn on the cob. Having done that, she almost ran to the kitchen and brought out buttered mashed potatoes and gravy. On top of that, she also brought out some apple crisp for dessert and placed it all nicely around the turkey. Gerard set the books aside and surveyed all the food through his spectacles, eyeing it critically. Constance sat down and looked at Aine, and they both rolled their eyes at each other. They knew that Dad would eat the meal alright, and probably even really like it...but he never did make favorable comments about it to his wife. Aine knew that his brash comments broke her mom's heart. Since she worked so hard to please him, it always stoked Aine's anger to a fever pitch when she thought about it, but so far she managed to keep a lid on it. Her mother was one of the most tender hearted ladies she knew. She thought to herself, _When and if I ever get a husband, he had better like my cooking or else he can don the apron himself and cook his own meals!_

Aine thought she would never make the quite the efforts her mom did to please her man. If he didn't like it, then he would fend for himself and that was that. Aine's mother sometimes remarked to her daughter how she always thought in absolute terms; how she would indulge in black and white kind of thinking with no middle ground or even compromise.

They all began to eat, yet there was an undercurrent of uneasiness between them. No one even looked at each other for a while. Aine thought about their last meeting yesterday; of when her parents had steadfastly disagreed with her desire of wanting to go to the Collegium in Haven, and of how upset she became. They actually wanted her to stay home and help run the business! Thankfully, at least her mother was a little bit more flexible with this option of hers, but would not mention it in front of her father. That was one thing about her Mom which she hated, she would never stand up for herself. Thinking of these things did not help to ease her tension.

Gerard finally broke the silence, "Well Aine," he said looking up at her over his glasses, "I trust you have come to your senses regarding the running of the family business. You have decided that you will stay here, correct?"

Inside, Aine felt the water beginning to boil. She met his gaze and said incredulously, "No I haven't, and since when do you decide for me, you don't even care about what I have to say, do you! Your only concern is that I do what you wish!"

Constance had a worried look on her face, and she felt compelled to interrupt, "Aine dear, please! listen to your father first before you"-

So far, Gerard had remained passive. Now it was Aine's turn to interrupt. Tears of frustration began to stream down her cheeks, "No I won't mom! And why don't you ever stand up to Dad and tell him what you really think!" Aine's face became flushed, she felt like she was quickly losing control of herself. "You know damn well what I want to do and you were supportive of me; you said so!" Constance's facial expression was looking more and more shocked as Aine went on. She was crying more intensely now, and the increasing tears flowed more freely. Their refusal to acknowledge how she thought and how she felt was the main cause. She asked of her mom loudly, "How could you be so weak and spineless, mom?", Constance glanced around nervously fidgeting with her silverware. She couldn't believe what her daughter had just asked. She knew this was going to be bad, very bad. So far, they really hadn't eaten much.

Gerard had had enough. He stood up violently, causing dishes to break and food to fly off of the table. He was beet red and clutched the edges of the table so hard his knuckles turned white. "Don't you ever talk that way to your mother again!" he boomed. He spit out a greenbean upon the floor. His voice became very penetrating and almost unbearably loud in volume when he was mad. "You will stop it right now and you will listen!" He pounded the table with a fist causing silverware and everything else on the table to to jump sharply. His facial expression was becoming dangerously livid. "You will right now"--

He didn't get a chance to finish. Aine walked forcefully over to her angry father, made a fist, raised it to him, "You don't even care about mom," she said less loudly now, but no less threateningly. Her voice was beginning to take on that dangerous undertone, lower in volume yet with an implied sense that soon she was going to blow. Her veins stood out on her forehead. "You never compliment her and you don't even care what she thinks." She shook her fist at him, as if to emphasize her point.

He was temporarily taken aback, but not for long, it was his turn now. "Look at what you're doing to your mother!" He pointed forcefully in that direction. "You don't even know what it's like to work hard child, you don't even"--

That was it. Aine lost it at mention of the word 'child'. She slapped her father violently, causing his head to jerk around. His glasses flew off, fell to the floor, and broke. He was dazed by what just happened and his jaw dropped.

Her mom covered her mouth with her hands, staring unbelievingly at what she just saw. She really burst into tears now.

Aine stood back, aghast at what she had just done. She felt a severe tingling, an adrenaline rush. Her head felt like it was swimming, almost out of control. She lost it and began to cry very intensely now. She looked at her mom looking so afraid, crying profusely. She looked at her father, who looked a little lost now. She couldn't handle that and she flew out the kitchen, ran through the the living room, and burst out through the door, running in the direction of the stables. That was the last she saw of home for quite some time.


	9. Showdown: The Tension Builds

The Tension Builds before the Showdown (9)

The other boys from the orphanage, with Simon Dewwart as their leader, crawled slowly up the same hill that they used to run back to the orphanage the day before. They wanted to try and stay out of sight from Fenix and Jewellyn. The intent was to surprise them and then give them the business. They paused, giggled, and whispered about how they were going to razz and torment those two. They knew Fenix was an easy target, and they also figured that again, he would 'chicken out'.

Simon got up on his knees. "We'll fan out here behind the hill and then jump out and surprise them. Next, encircle them. I don't think that panzy Fenix is _ever _going to climb that tree." He spat on the ground, wiped his face off with the sleeve of his shirt which was already encrusted with snot. "He makes me sick with his mushy poetry and the way he talks." Here he prepared to mock Fenix. He put his hand on his heart, made an absurd 'pompous' face and then said, "I shall not climb yonder tree until I have assuaged my hunger." He turned back to the boys who were laughing almost to the point of crying. "Now what do you suppose assuaged means?" he asked them with a sneer.

"I'll bet it's a word he just made up, something to make him sound smart." said one of the boys self assuredly. "Yeah," someone else in the crowd confirmed. The other boys turned and nodded to each other, with the general consensus being that such an odd word could not possibly exist.

"Well, I'll tell you boys, there is such a word. It means 'to relieve of.'" Simon scanned the crowd looking for anyone who would doubt him. No one did. "So what we are going to do, is go on a mission of _mercy _here. We, my friends, are going to assuage him of his fears, his fears to climb the tree; his fears for us."

"Uh, how are we going to do that?" asked the same boy who declared assuaged was a made up word. Some of the other boys scratched their heads, perhaps wondering why indeed they would want to do that.

"We'll knock him about so hard he'll become unconscious. Then he wouldn't be _afraid _of us now, would he?" And he woudn't have to worry about climbing that stupid tree either." Simon smiled broadly with his arms folded across his chest as if to say, 'Marvel at my brilliance everyone.' This started a murmur amongst the boys, nodding their heads again. They looked at Simon as if he were some kind of god who always had the answers, and who can always see the irony in things.

"So for now boys lets just lay low here behind the hill...they'll come soon enough." Simon looked up at the sky and smiled. It was a little past the mid-day sun.

Jewellyn could feel the negativity coming off of Fenix in waves, though his outward appearance betrayed little emotion. Sometimes when Jewellyn felt these feelings, it was hard to identify the source or even what the feelings were about; though usually she could tell whether they were good or bad. Gradually though, she was learning how to filter these feelings and to even tune some of them in or tune some of them out. She was still a novice at this but she knew more and more that she had a special power.

"I still don't see the other boys down there." Fenix felt a little unsure of exactly what was going on, or whether he should even go through with this. "Perhaps they will not show up and I won't have to do this."

Jewellyn knew the fear and the dilemma he was going through. Though much to her surprise, she found herself saying, "But if we don't meet the challenge now, they will never leave us alone. Even if you fail and make a bad showing, at least you tried. You didn't chicken out. That alone sometimes makes a difference."

Fenix turned to look at her and raised his eyebrows. He thought a few moments and then said, "I fear that you are correct, Jewellyn. I can't always run away from my problems." Realizing that didn't make him feel much better though. They both exchanged glances, nodded, and began to walk down towards the showdown with the tree.

Back at the orphanage Aunt Tildy was looking out through the window, reflecting on things. She was also worried a bit about the showdown at the grove where that tall tree was. As much as she wanted to summon help for Fenix and Jewellyn, she would not. She knew that if she did send someone there to help, or to get them back, that they would only suffer more teasing and taunting in the long run. She also knew their self assuredness and confidence, as little developed as it was now, would never grow if she or some of the other adults were intervening all the time. Aunt Tildy sighed. She though of how _'yes, you have to guide children, and teach them as best as you can about right from wrong.' _All the teaching in the world however, couldn't take the place of actual experience. You had to experience the joys and the hard knocks in life to really mature. Sheltering them would only make them invalids and would be the same as not having respect for them; not allowing them to learn and grow.

She shifted her weight and looked down at the counter and thought some more. The urge is so strong to try and protect them because you know that the world is often cruel and harsh, and sometimes even indifferent to a person's attempts to make something happen in their lives and then it doesn't come through for various reasons. At some point though, you have to let go, as heartbreaking as it can be. You have to cut the umbilical cord and set them free. You can only pray that they will be somewhat happy; that they will manage to avoid some of the worse horrors life could throw at them...Aunt Tidy felt a surge of emotion as she thought, and one lone tear rolled down her eye. She watched out the window at some butterflies, flitting randomly about. They are so carefree, she mused.

She thought of how school would resume again tomorrow and this made her think of how some of the students were close to being done with school, like Fenix and Jewellyn; she hoped that somehow, maybe that they could end up at the Collegium in Haven. They both had exceptional talents and were good learners. She knew of some of their special skills; Jewellyn seemed to know who was feeling what; and there were times when Aunt Tildy swore she seemed to hear Fenix in her head somehow. She wasn't totally sure about that but it seemed very strange...


	10. Showdown: A Little Comic Relief Anyone?

Fenix and Jewellyn drew near the tree and they both felt uneasy; something wasn't right here. Fenix looked up at the tree and it reminded him of how powerless he really was. Someday he would have to conquer that inner block and take action.

_"Well, well...what do we have here?" _Simon sneered as he and the gang appeared from up over the hill behind the tree. He swaggered down to them with the boys' courage being bolstered because of their leader's bravado. It was sheer cowardice really, how strength in numbers, that mob psychology, could overpower one or two easy tempting targets who were afraid and vulnerable. The gang could smell their fear and anxiety.

Fenix and Jewellyn looked at each other, somehow feeling this was going to be it. The showdown. Fenix shifted around, feeling very uncomfortable and was beginning to experience that inner paralisys again which made him unable to do or say anything to his defense. The boys were like a pack of wolves, grinning at them and sizing up their prey.

"Well," Simon said with kind of a mock drama, "are you going to _put out _today or what, Fenix? We grow weary of your cowardice, don't we boys?" He was punching the palm of his other hand for dramatic effect.

"We sure do, we're getting sick of it!" they said in almost perfect unison. "We know you aren't even going to climb that tree chickeeennnnn!" shouted one of the boys.

Simon walked up to Fenix, almost getting in his face. He thrust his finger at Fenix. "What's the matter, has the master poet and storyteller run out of words here?" Simon looked at Jewellyn and smiled. "You enjoying the show, honey?" Jewellyn turned her head away from him, feeling disgusted. Right now she thought it was a good idea not to be receptive to anyone's feelings; it would be too much for her to handle.

Though they were both feeling stronger emotions of anger, there was no outlet for it. Fenix felt that inner block grow with his feelings. He visualized himself punching Simon right in the face, caving in his snotty nose in the process. Thinking of this though made his anxiety grow, thus feeding that inner block which seemed to prevent him taking any action. "You just leave Jewellyn out of this," he somehow managed to say. Jewellyn mouthed a silent 'no' to Fenix. She felt this would only add fuel to the fire.

"WHAT did you say punk? You are giving _me_ orders!" he exclaimed with that hateful sneer on his face. His eyes were wide with apparent rage. Spittle came out of his mouth as he shouted, some of it landing on Fenix' shirt. Fenix thought desparately of something to do.

"Wait, let me tell you a story!" Fenix shouted.

This statement was so impromptu, so unexpected that it caused a brief period of silence. Then almost everyone burst out laughing, except for Fenix.

"He wants to tell us a story! How sweet and touching!" Simon said with mock gratitude. Much to everyone's surprise he said continuing, "Okay poet boy let's have at it, and it better be a good one, a funny one. And if this is a delay tactic you think is going to help you out, you're wrong. We're still going to annihilate you...and your girlfriend too." As it turned out however, he never got the chance to do that. He glanced again in her direction, this time Jewellyn met his gaze, unflinching. Simon looked back at Fenix now, who did not meet his gaze.

He did start to tell the story though.

"Not too long ago, in this very burg of Beldorn, a mighty celebration was planned. It was the anniversary of the town's founding. A smorgasboard of food was prepared, and the finest mead was brought in. The local bards were in attendance as well, all ready to play their various instruments. There was one event in particular, which I will talk about. It was a beauty contest! Only the participants were men!"

This caused Simon to sneer. He was beginning to look very impatient.

Fenix wasn't sure how he was going to end this even if he got the chance, yet he continued. He was making this up on the fly. He had some slim hope that this might help somehow. _Yeah, it will serve only to delay my doom, _he thought gloomily.

"And...the judges were women from all walks of life. The men wore skimpy white laced outfits, looking much like the kind that were on display inside at the local women's clothier. Anyway, the contestants were filling up on mead and so were the judges. The men came up on stage and modeled their various outfits, one by one. Finally the last one came up amidst lots of laughter and cheer. He was perhaps the 'heavier set' of the contestants...and the hairiest. Well he did his bit modeling for the crowd. Then he walked to the middle of the stage and took a few bows. To be funny, I suppose this guy turned around with his back to the raucous crowd, and began taking exaggerated bows thus giving the crowd quite a view of his hindquarters! He took one more bow and what skimpy clothing he did have there parted with a loud rip! He didn't realize it at first, but he was mooning the crowd with his bare hairy ass! The laughter reached the height of ribaldry. He took one last look behind himself with his beet red face and his mouth formed an 'O' of surprise. He slowly stepped forward to the back of the stage and fell off...never to be seen again..."

Fenix paused. Almost everyone was laughing a little bit here, except for Simon who perhaps felt slightly upstaged by the telling of the story...

"Ha. Ha. Ha. Very funny Fenix. That was one of the _lamest_ stories I ever heard. I grow impatient. What I want to know now is if you've got the guts to climb yonder tree!"

Fenix became a bit sobered up by this request. It was kind of a funny story though. I'll have to remember that one, maybe spice it up a bit...that is, if I live to tell about it again, he thought morosely. Ah yes that blasted tree! Fenix swallowed, his throat was very dry. "Alright. I will, but Jewellyn has to come with me to the base of the tree, and you have to leave her alone!"

"Tsk, tsk, so demanding are we Fenix. Okay, have it your way...request granted." He waved his arm towards the tree. The look on his face and the way he smiled though made him not trust Simon's word.


	11. Showdown: Aine Bursts Upon the Scene

Fenix and Jewellyn walked up to the base of the tree. He looked up at it's imposing height again. A tingle went up his spine. "You don't have to do this," Jewellyn whispered carefully. This prompted Fenix to reach for the first foothold. He was going to climb it after all. He had little trouble clambering up the footholds. Everyone watched, silently for now. He grasped for the last foothold and hauled himself up to the first branch and stood on it.

At this point Simon walked towards Jewellyn and grabbed her, dragging her back away from the tree, Jewellyn screamed, and screamed again. "Shutup," Simon yelled...and slapped her.

"Hey, Simon!" someone said from his gang. "You didn't say we were going to be _hurting_ any girls!"

"Shut up, everyone! Shut up!" His face was all red and livid with rage. "I give the orders around here!" He dragged her further away.

Fenix, up in the tree, couldn't believe what he was seeing. He didn't give it any second thought really, leaving Jewellyn down there alone. He never figured that even Simon would stoop so low as to attack a girl. Fenix became frantic. Wanting to do something, he thought about jumping down, but that freezing paralysis had him in it's grip yet again.

One of the boys down below shouted, "Hey look! Over there!" he pointed over in an easterly direction towards the Tanglewood Forest.

Someone was advancing rapidly towards them on a jet black stallion.

Fenix looked and knew who it was right away.

Aine felt the sense and the general direction of serious trouble. It was in the general direction of that tree, again! Someone was up in the tree. Is that...? She doubted it was, but then again, who else could it be? Better to wait until I get closer to be sure. She had on some of her lighter riding gear this time, mostly dressed in brown leathers. Her blonde hair was cut very short this time, with no ponytail there at all. She was bent down as far as she could on Obsidian, thus reducing the wind resistance. She made good ground, and quickly at that.

Everyone watched as she drew near the tall tree. She looked up at the tree, incredulous as she realized it was indeed Fenix. She quickly noted that some brute over there had a woman in his grasp. What in Valdemar's name is going on here? she thought, not totally comprehending yet what was going on, but it didn't look good. She saw another gang of boys over by who she supposed was the ringleader.

She looked up at Fenix and grinned, "Hello my good friend, and what praytell are _you_ doing up there now?" She saw that Fenix looked scared and he pointed in the general direction of Simon and...that woman, who appeared to be struggling. Realizing more of what was going on now, she dismounted Obsidian, looked up at Fenix and grinned again "Really Fenix, we must meet under more pleasant circumstances one of these days."

Everyone looked in her direction. Little did they know...

She hurried and ran over to where Simon was, and he wasn't handling Jewellyn nicely at all.

"Get out of here punk, and leave us alone! I suppose you're one of Fenix' weakling stooges! Beat it, if you know what's good for you!" Simon figured it was time to give the signal to the boys to move on in, thus putting an end to this guy's prodding. Simon continued to hold Jewellyn, but not for long.

Aine had reached the boiling point.

Things began to happen very rapidly. Aine quickly walked up to Simon, and to his sudden surprise, she grasped him by the collar and pulled him up off the ground with her right hand, and delivered a lightning fast, strong left hook right into his face. His face got mashed in a bit, and his head swung sharply to the right. Aine threw Simon to the ground with disgust. A fair amount of blood was flowing from his nose. The sneer he had on his face was gone. Jewellyn tried to roll out of the way as quickly as possible and yelled, "Behind you!"

Aine had already sprung to action, however. One of the other boys jumped on her back and clung to her and tried to bring her to the ground. She saw some of the other boys rushing towards her. She ran forward and twirled rapidly, using the outswung legs of the boy on her back as a weapon. She mowed three boys down in this fashion. Then, she quickly bent over, thus slamming the piggy-back rider to the ground in a cloud of dust. Some of the other boys, not quite realizing what they were up against, ran towards her, shouting. She quickly raised up her leg, and kicked one of the boys in the chin as he came upon her. One down. The other boy had what appeared to be a club in his hand.

Still up in the tree, Fenix yelled, "Look out!" Finally he decided to try and get down and slipped, thus falling straight on to one of the footholds, with only his testicles to break the fall. He clung to the main tree as much as he could. He moaned from the sheer pain and agony. His world turned grey, and he passed out, somehow still clinging on to a foothold above, with the other foothold supporting his crotch.

Aine prepared to meet her foe. The other boy ran towards her with rage on his face, preparing to deliver a debilitating blow to her with his club. He raised the club, almost right upon her. She crouched, grit her teeth, and at the last moment quickly dropped to the ground, and simultaneously thrust her lower leg and foot right up into the boys gut. There was an awful whoosh! sound as all the air the boy had rushed out of his throat. He fell to the ground and struggled with the wind being knocked right out of him.

Unknown to Aine at this time, Simon was crawling slowly towards her with a knife in his mouth, still bleeding profusely from the nose. Jewellyn however took him by surprise and conked him on the head with a heavy leather club that she found lying nearby. This time _he_ was out for the count. She was shocked at what she had just done. She put her hands up to her face.

Another foolish boy, who had circled rapidly around Aine while she was still on the ground, jumped on her before she could get up. He was quickly surprised as he realized that he was a she. "You're only a girl!" he shouted.

"Do you have a_ problem _with that?" Aine asked nonchalantly. Before he could answer, she quickly rolled him over and planted a hard fist right into his mouth. He too was out for the count now.

The whole area around the tree was littered with limp-bodied boys. Simon would have a headache for about three days now.

Jewellyn walked over to Aine sitting on the ground, wondering who this mysterious savior was and asked her, "Are you alright? You really gave those the boys the business!"

Aine stood up, dusted herself off, and said, "Oh, that? that was no problem at all. I saw you were in danger and at first I thought, 'What in the blazes is Fenix doing up in that stupid tree when you were in trouble?' Then it dawned on me, I had to rescue him from that tree before, and I saw those other boys. I saw you were in trouble too. Did he do to you what I thought he was going to do?"

Jewellyn recalled the struggle with disgust. "No I struggled against him quite vigorously. He never...still, I feel awful and sickened by what he was trying to do." She was threatening to burst into tears.

Aine walked over to her and did a rare thing: She gave Jewellyn a big hug and said, "Of course you do. Who wouldn't?" The tears flowed from her quite freely now.

The crying subsided now for a bit. Jewellyn looked at Aine and said, "Did you see what I did to that awful Simon? He was actually trying to crawl towards you with a knife in his mouth."

"And you gave him the business right?" Aine asked, managing to smile despite the fact she was sore all over.

"At first, I thought I had killed him. I conked him in the head with that leather club. It made an awful thudding sound." She shuddered as she recalled the event. "But he was moving a little, and breathing too. I made sure of that."

Aine had to laugh a little at that. "Well good going," Aine said, "we can't let the bad guys get the upper hand now, can we? Oh I'm sorry," she realized she hadn't even introduced herself yet. "My name is Aine. At your service," she said smiling. She offered her hand to Jewellyn. "And you are?"

"Jewellyn," she said. They shook hands. "You sure came at the right time, thank you so much."

They both looked up at Fenix. Aine said, "Yeah I had to rescue him from that tree before," she said casually.

"Oh so you two have met before then? He never told me about that." Jewellyn said, feeling slightly disturbed for some reason she couldn't quite pin down yet.

Aine replied, "Well come to think of it, he never mentioned you either."

They both exchanged uneasy glances, again, not knowing quite why.

"Well," Aine said, "We'd better go help loverboy out of the tree there."

They both laughed at this and walked over to that tree. It appeared Fenix was coming around a bit. He looked dazedly around, then looked down at them, trying to focus his eyes. Then suddenly he realized. Oh, it's those two girls, Aine and Jewellyn, he thought. He felt a little uncomfortable too at this thought, not quite knowing why. He never mentioned one girl to the other as of yet, though.

"Well," Aine yelled, "are you going to come down or do we have to come up and _get _you?"

"It depends on the opinions of certain body parts of mine," he said, grinning a little. He tested his legs a bit, gently touched his crotch, which did feel a little tender, then announced, "I think I can. Only a few more footholds to go."

Jewellyn said, "Don't worry, we'll talk you down." They both looked at each other and giggled a little.

Fenix somehow managed to struggle down with their verbal assistance, and looked uneasily at both of them when he got down. He was feeling very sore again, and winced a little. "I see you two have ably handled this situation, " he said looking out at the downed boys scatterd around the grove, some of which were struggling to get up now. "So you two have introduced yourselves to each other, I suppose."

"Yeah and we did a lot of talking about you too." Aine said teasingly. Both of them looked at each other and winked.

Fenix shifted his feet, looking at the ground.

"Don't worry dear Fenix, its not as if we're involved in a love triangle, or something else silly like that," Jewellyn offered. They both laughed a little again.

Jewellyn thought she 'heard' Fenix again in her thoughts, though she didn't catch much of it this time.

Fenix looked at her and raised his eyebrows a bit and thought, I can almost imagine that happening though. Fenix and Jewellyn were great friends, maybe something could develop there, yet he felt entirely different around Aine. He felt things he never felt before around her. He always felt really good around her. She inspired him and knew that somehow, wherever they went, there would always be excitement just around the corner. He often found himself smiling about her; the things she said and did, when she wasn't around. He would daydream a little then and totally forget what he was doing...or what he was going to say.

Aine noticed it was getting near supper, yet she still didn't know where she was going to eat. This thought brought a heavy weight down upon her. How am I ever going to face them again, she thought. "I should get going. I am thinking about going to Haven. It is my wish to get into the Collegium someday. Maybe, someday, I can become one of the guard, or even a Herald if I get lucky and get chosen." Fenix and Jewellyn both perked up at the mention of Haven and the Collegium. Someday they too wanted to go there...thougeh they figured it was a longshot at best.

"Well good luck with that," said Jewellyn. "You certainly have a good start with those awesome fighting skills."

Aine smiled and offered to shake both of their hands. "Well, let's hope so," she replied. "Though they do have quite the high standards. Oh, and by the way, you two go to school at the orphanage in Beldorn, correct?" It really was only a matter of simple deduction.

They both nodded. Fenix thought about the upcoming school new-week. He thought though that school would soon be over and then...what? Jewellyn answered, "Yes we do."

"I will keep you both in mind, I am fairly certain you two have what it takes..." she said. She turned to go and mounted Obsidian who was apparently grazing nonchalantly all this time. They said their goodbyes and Aine rode off while Fenix and Jewellyn walked back home with some new things to think about..

They didn't all know it yet, but these 'chance' meetings were weaving new threads in the fabric of destiny. Love, struggle for survival, war, comedy, and tragedy would never be the same in their lives now that they had met. They thought perhaps that their lives were small and would have little impact on things...little did they know...


	12. Seen Through the Eyes of the Night

New Beginnings...

Part One...A Dream

The full moon, complete with a luminous aura surrounding it, had just risen in a sky of midnight blue. The entire sky overhead was randomly strewn with a myriad of bright stars. Up over the hill, at least three dozen ghostly white horses were emerging, then cascading as they thundered down the hill, leaving behind faint afterimages of themselves as they traveled. The Heralds of Valdemar were the riders, the famed and the elite, dressed in their distinctive white uniforms. As they moved on, they gave the impression of a power and an intelligence rarely matched in this realm. As the horses and their riders drew near, they slowed their pace. One white stallion, exhaling clouds of mist, and it's rider, emerged as the leader of this spectacular cavalry, forming a silhouette against the bright light of the rising moon. The horse and it's rider gradually came into close view. The horse stared straight ahead with slightly luminous blue eyes as the Herald dismounted, then paused. It was hard to tell if this Herald was male or female. The Herald walked slowly forward, looming large in the foreground, knelt down and stared straight ahead. Yet, whoever it was looked vaguely familiar...The Herald reached forward as if to grasp the hand of a fallen man. Then--

Aine awoke with a start and rubbed her eyes. She felt a little weak and dizzy. She did not recognize at all where she was. There was a faint smell as of herbs in the air. Nothing in the room looked familiar. That dream...she quickly recalled some of it before it faded away. The Herald had come up really close to her in her 'field of vision' and yet, in her dream, she could not quite see a face, or it wasn't one she recognized. The Herald in this dream was reaching out for someone, and at first she thought it might be her. She felt an odd compulsion, and a kind of thrilling sensation. Before she could be sure the Herald's reach was intended for her, she woke up, and found herself here.

She looked at her surroundings, trying to place where she was. There were pastel green walls, the small bed she was on, a nightstand, and what appeared to be a closet for clothing. She hadn't wanted to go back home, as she wasn't planning on doing so for some time; she could not face her parents. She had tried to figure out somewhere to stay, and was even considering going to the orphanage, for supper if nothing else. She remembered riding on Obsidian and it was getting dark as she rode east through the woods. After a while she had given up on the orphanage idea, figuring it was getting too late, not to mention the fact she didn't want to impose, to appear as if she was begging for food and lodging.

She also remembered thinking about her parents which caused her to feel more emotionally low. Along with the increasing weakness and thirst, which had been going on for at least eighteen candlemarks or so by then, she felt as if she could hardly go on anymore. She didn't remember very much after that...

She wondered again about that surreal dream. It was kind of spooky too...haunting. Did it mean something? It was quite vivid.

There was a knock on the oaken door which made Aine's heart skip a beat, startling her out of her revelry. "You may come in...whoever you are." She figured this was a friendly place at least. The door opened and in walked a woman, probably approaching middle age, wearing the green robes of the Healers. She was a brunette, with only a slight greying, and she seemed to have quite the cheery disposition.

"My name is Lorette Ealusaid, at your service." She bowed her head slightly, looking at her a little warily. "I am your Healer for the time being. It appears, perhaps, that you passed out somewhere in Tanglewood Forest, not far from here. You have been here at least one full day now. You mustn't have ate or drank at all when you were on your journey? You also show signs of great physical stress. What is your name?"

"Aine Myst," she wondered with a slight sense of alarm where her beloved Obsidian was. I seem to be in Haven, perhaps at the Hall of the Healers, she thought. She became more wide eyed as she realized where she was.

"The Guard also discovered what appeared to be your horse-"

"My horse? Obsidian!" Aine interrupted. Her attention was also sharply aroused at the mention of the word 'Guard' . She thought about the boys she had given the business to. Hopefully they didn't know about that...

"Well yes, perhaps it is," Lorette offered, "it is a coal black stallion, very well behaved..."

Aine sat up quite quickly in the bed._ "That's it! That's him, _oh thank the Gods of Valdemar he's safe! I want to go out and see him!" Aine felt a love like no other for her horse. She rarely felt for humans this way; she couldn't seem to let herself yield for people as she found it difficult to connect with them in a truly loving way. Aine had often wondered why it was so much easier to love and care for animals. It's because they love you unconditionally, without question, and they don't play quirky emotional games with you. They keep it simple... Aine had thought on more than one occasion.

"You my dear, need rest and some food and water. The horse is being well taken care of at the stables. The stablehands there are very apt and professional. No need to worry. So lay yourself down please." Lorette placed some aromatic herbs in a small dish and set them aflame; they burned slowly, giving off a pleasant, relaxing odor. "I also want you to drink this remedial potion which shall help restore your vitality. Then we will bring you in some food. It is around dinnertime now."

"I am in Haven, aren't I? And I'm on the Collegium and Palace grounds, am I not?" Aine asked excitedly.

"Yes to both questions, but first you must relax and have a meal so you can become well," the Healer said smiling. "Then one of the Herald Guards wishes to speak to you; you must either be important, in trouble or...something," she said with a casual air, laughing a little. "I will see you later in the day to see how you are doing." With that she turned away and left leaving Aine to her thoughts.

Aine felt a heavy weight descend upon her and a little anxiety as well. She pulled the bedcovers up over her head. She thought about how her mother had always warned her about sleeping completely under the covers. "You could suffocate," she had said this a few times. So far, it hadn't happened. A Herald Guard wanted to talk to her. It either had to be about those boys she had taught a lesson to or perhaps her Mom and Dad sent out an alert, wondering and worrying about where she was. Knowing Father though, he probably wouldn't go quite that far. He would figure it was about time she ventured out on her own. Then she would discover the error of her ways and come back home to work in the family business.

_I have this feeling I may never go back home. Somehow though, we need to 'clear' the air between us_...she thought.


	13. Interview With Rowland

Aine's interview with Rowland

Later, there was another knock on the door which made her heart jump again. Could it be the Guard already? She braced herself and then said, "Come on in."

A healer trainee had brought in her dinner and placed it upon the nightstand close to her bed. He appeared to be quite a young boy, perhaps fourteen or fifteen. The food on the tray had silver covers over it to keep the food warm. Still, Aine could smell the combination of vegetables, warm bread, and perhaps some turkey or chicken coming from the tray. Her stomach made loud noises and she was instantly overwhelmed by her hunger. The healer trainee smiled, then exited the room. She removed the silver covers from the food on her tray and being delighted by what was offered, began to dig in. She ate quickly, having not eaten for quite some time. Somehow, this food seemed to be the best she ever had. At least it seemed that way to her at the present moment.

Having eaten, she began to feel a little tired again; the aromatic herbs had seemed to achieve their intended effect. With her eyes slightly closed she reflected about Fenix and how, for some odd reason, she seemed to be attracted to him. She visualized him with his medium length brown hair which never seemed to stay in place. He almost always wore brown clothing with a little white trim now and then. She heard minimal talk about him being a poet or storyteller.Other than his odd manner of diction, she hadn't heard much about it. More puzzling there were times she was startled by what she figured had to be Fenix' 'voice' speaking as it were, in her mind. Thinking about it now, that first time they had met, was quite the episode. She smiled at the thought. She laughed as she recalled how terribly embarassed he was when he had a perfectly natural ocurrence (under the circumstances), and at the time she thought she would surely die laughing. _For some reason I find myself attracted to him, he sticks in my memory now and I can imagine---_Her train of thought was interrupted by a loud knock on the door. She jumped with a start. Her heart pounded a little bit. "Yes? Who is it?"

A cultured male voice responded from the other side of the door. "This is Herald Rowland Giles. I wish to ask you some questions, if you are up to it."

"C-Come in," she said nervously. _"A Herald,"_ she whispered to herself. Aine became quite wide eyed and felt compelled to draw the covers further up on her body. She gazed with apprehension towards the door.

The door opened and in stepped Rowland completely attired in his beautiful Heraldic whites. He left the door open with a Healer standing nearby as was the custom whenever a Herald Guard or guard would interview the convalescent in his or her room; this helped to maintain credibility, and more than anyone else perhaps, the Healers could be trusted to be appropriately discretionary. Aine noticed that he had quite a few laugh lines around his steel blue eyes. He had no head gear or other battle apparel on at this time and he had short blonde hair with a hint of red. Aine became more wide-eyed at the sight of this impressive man. "Y-you are a Herald, a Herald -"

"I am the leader of the Herald Guards, to be precise," he said, interrupting politely, "Rowland Giles at your service Madam." He took a slight bow and smiled at her. Now she could really see the laugh lines. He requested a chair brought in and he sat down. He didn't appear to be threatening at all.

Aine was impressed how he managed to say and do all this without sounding like he was being condescending, or without sounding like he was mocking her somehow. Her mood sobered a little though as she quickly realized he was here to ask questions. It had to be either about with her fight with the boys or perhaps her parents had sent out an alert. Actually, in a way, it was a combination of these two events; though not the way she expected.

"You have eaten correct, uh...your name?"

"Aine Myst, and yes I had a very good dinner," she replied with an uneasy smile. She didn't feel _terribly_ guilty but...

"Excellent. Well, Aine," he said pleasantly, "I know this isn't always the most cheerful of times, these interviews, but I have a few questions." Here, he paused as if in thought and looked up at the ceiling then back down again. You are how old?"

"Sixteen, almost seventeen" she replied, beginning to feel a little nervous. She looked down at where her feet were under the covers.

_:Be nice to her now, you promised, she's a newcomer. I promise you great rewards if you do. She has a unique potential: _The mindspeak had come from the direction of the stables where Rowland knew Azura was still eating hay. Still, it startled him a little bit. This Companion had been with Rowland a long time now, so enhanced long distance mindspeak wasn't too difficult.

Rowland mindspoke back._ :Rewards, hmmmm, well I don't really need those rewards, of course I will be discreet and easy going...:_

_:Hmmphh, you don't think you need those rewards, but you will:_ Azura countered. _:I was planning on restoring some of the neurons in your brain, all of the vast quantity of them you burnt out in your wildly flaming youth, trying to consume more Mead than the next guy. Such manly endeavours you embarked upon whilst younger, tsk, tsk; but since you refuse my help...:_

The mindspeak had come from the direction of the stables where Rowland knew Azura was still eating hay. Still, it startled him a little bit. This Companion had been with Rowland a long time now, so enhanced long distance mindspeak wasn't too difficult. Inwardly, he could feel her laughing at him. Rowland mindspoke back _:Okay, enough for now Azura, I will be available for your amusement later:_

Rowland sighed, then continued, "You have various scratches, a couple of cuts on your body here and there, and some bruising as well," he said gesturing a little towards her. "Also, you were very fatigued, dehydrated, and you were wondering the whole countryside between the orphanage, er, and that giant poplar tree." He looked at her when he said this, in such a way as if he knew very well that she must have been there. "Then you traveled through the woods, then you also ranged as far as your home in the Upper Districts of Beldorn." Here he paused, as if reflecting on some trivial matter which later could turn out to be very important. A trick which he often used as an interrogator to make the alleged suspect a little anxious, and perhaps, a little more likely then to spill the beans later. You had to make sure they had a full stomach too, and if they hadn't eaten yet, act _very_ concerned about that then see to it immediately they got a full meal. They always seemed to be more co-operative this way if you seemed to be concerned about them. Of course she wasn't a criminal suspect, but still, Rowland had his ways of getting answers no matter what the questioning was about. He scratched the little bit of beard he had, looking slightly puzzled, "You never did, but you could havegone back to your home to get some lodging there and a meal, correct?"

"Am I uh...I'm not a criminal suspect here, _am I?"_ she asked, stirring uneasily.

Rowland stood up slowly, gazing at her with those steely blue eyes, those eyes that knew and saw all. "Why Aine, are you displaying a guilty conscience here?" His eyes took on a little bit of an amused aspect here, they softened and glistened a little.

"No, but..." she started.

"Well if we go by what that rat, Simon Dewwart had said, you'd be in a heap of trouble. He claims that you came out of nowhere while they were playing around that tree, and whupped the chicken feathers off of all of them, for no reason! That's quite a feat to accomplish, for anyone," he said, laughing out loud. _Especially, with you being a sixteen year old girl,_ he was going to say, but then thought better of it. He didn't want to cause a ruckus here, evidently she was very capable of doing so. Besides, some of his best guards were women. He looked at her, noting the sharp featured, yet very pleasant face. He noticed those cobalt blue eyes of her; eyes of strength.

Here Aine became a little wide-eyed, then sat up quickly, displaying a little anger. "Well I'll be! I don't suppose he said anything about what _he_ was doing there, did he? Don't tell me you trust that guy, he is-"

"A liar and a coward, among other things," he finished for her. He knew of this guy alright, in fact for a little while now the Guards had set up various temptations in an effort to trap him. To try and teach him a lesson, if possible. "I think I'm a fair judge of character, if I may say. I also know Fenix and Jewellyn were there too. I am fairly certain you had good reason to do what you did. From what little I know of you already you would fight to the death for your friends, and maybe even for your _parents."_ Rowland sat down, judging the effect of his last word upon her. Of course, he also knew about what happened that day she had the argument with her parents.

Aine looked down, feeling very sobered up, and very saddened too all of the sudden. "What don't you know?" she asked, beginning to cry a little. "Did my parents notify the Guard I was out and about, not wanting to come home?"

"Yes, your parents did alert us. They also said why you ran away; that you wanted to come here to Haven, to perhaps become a Herald Guard at the Collegium. You know, you can say what you want about your parents, they aren't perfect I know...who is? I could tell one thing though..." Roland paused, looking straight at her with a kind of firm, yet kind, concern on his face.

"And that is...? she asked, already knowing. She looked as if she was going to break out crying, no holding back, at any moment.

He said more quietly now, "That your parents love you very much, that they would do anything for you; in fact I think they'd even fight to the death for you as well. You learned that much from them didn't you, Aine? How to stand up for what you believe in at all costs." Rowland almost felt as if he were going to cry any moment.

"Y-yes I do..." she coudn't help it, the dam broke and she began to cry profusely, the kind of crying that comes down from deep within the soul. She drew the sheets up over her face. Aine continued crying and Rowland felt that maybe he was a little harsh on her, and maybe even too facetious at times during the interview. Yet he knew, deep inside about the power of love and how it could hurt so much; how sometimes a person had to take a few hard knocks here and there to learn what love was really all about. He also knew love wasn't all church bells and roses either. It could tear you apart inside; sometimes it could even break your heart. It could also make you feel good too when those whom you love accomplished something. They accomplished it partly because you loved them, no matter what, for all they were. When all is said and done, when you heal, when you feel good about life and who you are, ultimately, it is because of unconditional love. Rowland would fight to the death as well to defend those beliefs. Woe to anyone who would try to disrupt that!

Azura interrupted. :_You weren't easy on her at all were you Rowland? You calloused brute. I know what you were trying to do here, despite your questionable methods, Chosen. You want her to come here for the right reasons, and you want her to reconcile with her parents first, if possible. It is true I must admit. If she comes here with things settled and perhaps, even with her parents approval, then she truly is on her way to becoming a Herald. She will come ready and with a clear conscience. We both know she could be very valuable to our cause. She is a fighter Rowland, and she has this other unique skill which we've rarely seen, which could prove invaluable. I love you Rowland, though only the Gods of Valdemar know why. You did the right thing:_

A lone tear rolled down Rowland's cheek. :Thank you Azura, you don't know how good that makes me feel:

_:Oh but I do Rowland, I do. We, in a way, have taught it to each other..Now please, go comfort the girl:_

He stood up and she was still crying. "Listen, Aine," he reached down his hand to offer it to her. I know you want to become one of the Guard, but I also think you might want to straighten a couple of things out. Inside, you know you do. We would love to have you here."

Aine withdrew the bed covers from her face to see that wonderful Herald Rowland looking down at her with a kind of sad compassion on his face. A feeling perhaps, that she would come to know. He was holding out his arm with an extended hand, she noticed.

She offered hers and they shook hands. It was a defining moment, which they both would come to realize.

"Welcome," Rowland said.

"Thank you," Aine said. She thought of that dream...and if it meant anything or not. All this emotion was a bit much, yet it felt kind of exhilarating to her too.

"The Healers will attend to you, then you can go." Rowland left. The silence now was overwhelming.

Aine made up her mind. She wanted to become one of the Guard, and if she had any magical talent, a Herald. She knew now, what she must do.


	14. A Meeting With the Council

The Meeting of the Council

Rowland emerged from the Hall of the Healers, paused, looked around, and then took in a deep breath. To say it was one of the more beautiful summer days of Haven perhaps would be an understatement. The pristine sky was a rich, lucent blue. It was the kind of day one could describe as magical; the very appearance of the environment made you 'smile' inside. It was one of those days where you could even forget about the Karsites and what those 'demons' were up to south of the border. You could even forget about the bandits, who owed allegiance to no-one but themselves, yet were becoming more bold and daring with their exploits. After a few wars with the Karsites, where it could be said that the proud nation of Valdemar was the winner of all thus far, it would seem that they would have learned their lesson by now. Basically, evil is very stupid, Rowland reflected, though sometimes, it can be cunning and viciously ill timed.

What could be gained by the Karsites ruthlessly attempting to kill the people of Valdemar? For the purpose of acquiring more land and precious natural resources? Even if the Karsites were to succeed, then what? No doubt they would not be content with only subjugating Valdemar; they would go for the surrounding lands as well. Ultimately what really would be gained by the amoral rape of the land and the total inconsideration of its' people? Certainly nothing morally permanent, nothing that would stand the test of time. Their warriors have now developed hit and run tactics as well as 'suicide' missions where they sacrifice their lives via violent means with the aim of killing as many people as possible. The Sun-Priests deceive their warriors, promising them Nirvana and untold riches in the afterlife for their martyrdom. This did make them a little more difficult to fight.

As far as Rowland was concerned these victories came at a very heavy price. A lot of people, subjects of the kingdom as well as warriors had sacrificed themselves for the cause; bright, intelligent young people, as well as their more experienced seniors who fought to the death for the country they love so much. Yet, how could one do any less?

Rowland walked on the cobblestone paths through the various, exquisite gardens of the Collegium, past the Guards Barracks on the Palace grounds, and finally on to the Palace. On horseback, some of the Guards were riding circuit and some of the others were riding circuit in and around Haven as well. The Guards Barracks were connected to the Palace via a private entrance. He had to go through there first where a clerk from the Guard, with his silver and blue uniform, was on duty. Rowland wanted to discuss some things with the Captain, with some of the other Herald leaders from the various divisions of the Collegium, and perhaps even King Theran himself, who nowadays was looking older for his age and worse for wear. . He had notified them in advance and they were going to meet in the Lesser Council Room. The clerk-guard led him to the private entry who looked at Herald Rowland with an inquisitive glance and asked, "What's going on today sir?" Generally, it was not wise to ask Herald leaders what they were up to. They offered only as much information as they chose to reveal and asking them or prodding them for more was considered an act of ill taste.

Rowland looked back at him nonchalantly and said, "We are having a meeting in the Lesser Council Room to discuss the fates of certain Guards who don't seem to be living up to their potential. Would _you_ care to attend?" The clerk-guard could only smile half-heartedly and retreat nervously to his desk, he was at a loss for words.

Rowland went on through the Oak door into the hallway which led into the Palace. Rowland smiled at how the clerk seemed to retreat almost sheepishly, at a loss for words. It was funny how people would react sometimes to hints of accusation, even though they weren't directly involved or the target of said accusations. Rowland continued on hearing his boots tap the stone floor as he walked. In the passage here everything echoed and seemed louder. He came to the Palace door, went in and noticed quite the flurry of activity going on. Courtiers walked between some of the rooms, delivering messages. Guards were coming up and down the hallways encircling the the center courtyard of the palace. Some people carried steaming carts of food here and there. Scholars were studying. Teachers gathered together, discussing the latest promising trainees. School at the Collegium went on through the whole year, unlike the ordinary schools outside of Haven. There were various breaks for the holidays with the winter holiday being the longest which lasted two weeks. Rowland always marveled at the activities within here.

One might think that King Theran would not like all this activity, that it would be disruptive or compromise security. Of course, there were Guards around if needed. However, King Theran always had an implicit trust in his people and he would actually show them this with action instead of empty promises; nonethless the King's Own Herald Jedin was always at the ready if necessary. King Theran was always respected as a result of his actions and he was very fair yet firm of principal. The people always knew where he stood on matters.

Rowland threaded through more hallways. He thought of it as a maze and essentially it was. It was designed partly to confuse or delay an enemy attack should it ever come this far. Finally he arrived at the Lesser Council Room, knocked on the heavy oak and metal door, and went in when someone within replied to him with an affirmative. Within, various leaders from the different divisions of the Collegium were seated around a long oak table. Some had glasses of Mead to drink, others had water.

"Well, how long are you going to_ stand _there Sir Rowland? Please do sit down," exclaimed the Lord Marshal. Also present was the Captain of the Guard, Jevan Piers, who only had Rowland above him in rank. King Theran wasn't present at this time, though Jedin, the King's Own Herald, was present of course. Bard Ulwynn Fyyscher was present as well as some of the other veteran Heralds. Jevan had just told a joke to which Bard Ulwyyn was laughing heartily. Bard Ulwynn, with his red hair, beard and jovial manner was always welcome at these meetings. The Bard was wise and quietly strong. He had much to offer with his talents of storytelling and music. He also frequently mixed with the public in and around Haven, thus knowing much about their sentiments and concerns. This knowledge was very valuable to King Theran when deciding policies. It also helped the King with the drafting of his eloquent speeches.

"On with it Sir Rowland!" The Lord Marshal exclaimed again. Lord Marshal was a model of 'greyness'. He had long gray hair, bushy eyebrows and beard. He even had gray eyes around which he had prominent laughlines. His face was molded as much by laughter as it was hardened with the knowledge of tragedy.

The Lord and Rowland often mixed it up. They frequently had arguments about policies, security, and strategies, particularly during times of war. They were intellectual equals, though it could be said that Rowland had the shortest fuse, so in an argument sometimes the Lord Marshal would 'win' due to anger clouding the judgement of his good friend. This was a source of amusement for the Lord Marshal though he tried hard not to show it in front of his friend. They were good friends for a long time and basically kept each other on their toes.

Rowland finally sat down, casting an icy glance at the Lord Marshal. He made an attempt to look serious, then said, "I think it is time we discuss matters of security and perhaps the recruiting of more trainees. We are presented with somewhat of an unique problem as you have heard some about. The demoralizing news is spreading northward. According to our scouts and Farseers the rogue bandits in the South are increasing in numbers and increasing their hateful activities. Normally they could be described as a thorn in one's side while keeping in mind that they kill without discretion and loot people's homes until there is nothing left." He paused and nodded at Jevan.

"Now however," Jevan said solemnly, "they are increasing their numbers and concentrating their efforts on the southern border near Karse. Since they owe no fealty to anyone, they seem to concentrate their efforts on our country. We all know what the Sun-Priests would do if they caught any of the bandits looting their country; they would simply burn them alive without trial. So the rogues prey on our humble villages and ruthlessly kill and maim their inhabitants. Our guards have discovered they even kill..." Here Jevan paused as this was tough to talk about. He took in a deep breath, exhaled, then continued, "...they even kill _children_ and sometimes gut them while at the same time looting them. Our guards and archers have felled a few of them but it seems that now we are going to quickly need more of an organized effort. A well planned military effort...

The normally placid and peaceful Bard Ulwynn grumbled, clenching his fists. "I want to be on the front lines and I will _personally_ take a few down myself!" He raised his hand in the air. "I will show them--"

"My good Bard," interrupted Rowland, "while your intentions are noble you could serve us more efficiently at this time with your mind healing, and we will need you and the other Bards to notify and keep informed the local populace here, perhaps even keeping them entertained at times. We will need all your skills and that of the other Bards in the rear lines of the battle formation as archers, should it come to that."

The Bard and the others exchanged glances and talked excitedly amongst themselves how they weren't going to let the bandits get away with this any longer.

Even as he said that about maybe going to battle Rowland knew that war did indeed seem inevitable. He looked down at the table, staring at nothing really. This was something Rowland did when he wished to be emotionally detached. Rowland realized that sometimes you have to detach yourself, especially with the horrors of battle. You had to fight on and help the wounded, if possible. You had to go on even if a comrade you knew well and went through the rigors of Guard and weapon training with was felled at your feet, never to see the blue sky again. The danger with emotional detachment however was that eventually you could become calloused and even indifferent to people if it went on for too long. It was more commonly known as 'battle shock'.

Jedin stood up, looking more aged but no less strong and graceful in his Herald whites. "There is one small problem here and it concerns the logistics of battle and strategy we must come up with. What the bandits are doing there near Karse could be an attempt to draw us in to battle with them. The fact that they are concentrating their efforts on the southern border says much. Perhaps the Karsites, inspired and commanded by the Sunlord and the other Sun-priests have leagued with the bandits in a plot of deception. With the bandits committing such heinous criminal acts we would have no choice but to attempt to intervene. The bandits are larger in number now and a battle to roust them out could weaken us thus giving the Karsites the advantage to let loose an all out attack on us. We could as a result become more vulnerable and then _they_ would have the advantage of the element of surprise. Despite all that we will not hold back _at all_ this time. We will do what we must..."

An heavy oaken and metal door covering the entrance to the King's alternate chambers here slowly opened. Everyone looked. It was indeed King Theran. He looked as impressive as always, only his long brown hair had been touched with grey now. Though it would not be likely at all that the King would be in the heat of battle, he had his battle leathers on. He radiated wisdom and surety as he walked into the room. The King was just and understood the power of love when dealing with people. Yet he was quick with judgement when it came to dealing with criminal acts. He had little tolerance for those who would abuse and take advantage of the weaker of society. When it came to the murdering of children...

King Theran surveyed the members of the council as he walked in. He stopped, looking quite solemn. When the King spoke, you listened; not out of fear but out of sheer respect and admiration for the man. "This time, my comrades, we are going to need the efforts and talents of many people. A team effort as always is needed but it is more critical now. It won't be one or two with special skills deciding the outcome here. We also have to develop a cunning strategy since we have to deal with those vile bandits and this, of course, would leave us open to attack from the Karsites..." The King shook his head here. "It appears as if evil will never rest," he said raising his fist, "nor shall we. It is bad enough that adults get killed and sacrificed...but when children are murdered," he said choking with emotion, "it _must _be stopped at any cost!" The King wiped a lone tear from his eye. "I swear by the Gods of Valdemar that we shall put an end to this evil," he said pounding the table. "And if possible we are going to cut the feet out from under the Karsites! I grow weary of this nemesis and someday before I die, we are going to deal them a critical blow, else I have failed the people of Valdemar." He looked solemnly again at those seated at the table. Everyone was a little wide eyed, being captivated by King Theran's oratory.

"I have one more thing to say, I have faith in you all, that you will improvise a strategy and a battle plan, that you will work together, combine your talents. I have faith in you that those who died before you shall be honored by your noble actions. We shall prevail. I believe in the force of good and the power of those who work together out of love for our country and the people within it. We cannot bring those children back to life. I vow on this day though that this will be the beginning of the end to _that_. It is time...it is time to get to work."

No one could think of anything to say. They were so moved and stirred by the King's words.

"You could never let us down King Theran, no matter what happens," Jedin said. "You have taught us one important thing, among others, but the one that stands out the most is that love is never wasted, love is never in vain. Love for our people and the noble actions they have performed will be the prime motivation. Those that have fallen before us have died trying to defend what we stand for; that we who live now shall have the privelege and the honor of ensuring the future sovereignty of our nation."

_:Well said, Chosen: _Rolan spoke into Jedin's mind. He was also listening to the goings on in this council. _:We have been through much, and the forthcoming events are sure to be like no other. I have confidence you will plan well...that is, with my help:_

Jedin laughed inwardly._ :Of course, Rolan. Of course. This is a team effort, as King Theran said. We will fight to the death if need be:_

Jedin bowed to the King. "We shall fight to the death, Your Majesty. Woe to anyone who tries to stop us!"

Everyone else remained silent. There was a lot to think about in the upcoming months.

The meeting was now over. Yet, a new destiny had been forged.


	15. Reconciliation

Aine's Reconciliation chap fifteen

Aine knew what she had to do and she was going to do it; not just because it might help her in becoming one of the Guard as a new trainee, she knew it felt right inside that not to reconcile with her folks would be a thing she would regret the rest of her life. With it being about two days later after her incident and arrival at the Healers hall, she hoped that things would have simmered down a little.

The sun was setting now, painting the sky with shades of crimson with the clouds appearing as fantastic silhouettes in the distance. Aine drew up to the stables and put Obsidian inside to feed on the hay and to get a drink. She petted his mane. "Obsidian, if things turn out like I hope they will, you and I will join the Guard and help fight for Valdemar. We have to do our best, ok?." The horse continued munching on hay, nodding as if he understood. She looked back at Obsidian as she walked up the path back to her parents house.

Feeling more than a little apprehensive, she walked around the manse and then followed the path to the front door. She took in a deep breath and knocked. It seemed an eternity to her before the door opened. It was her Dad who peeked around the door. He looked at her as if appraising her.

"Constance," he yelled, turning his head back inside, "Aine has come back, perhaps she wants a hand in the family business after all!" Aines hackles rose a bit and her heart sunk. She thought that maybe, just maybe her Dad would have changed just a little. Gerald peered back out at her, raising his eyebrows. "Well come on in Aine," her Dad opened the door and motioned her inside. Before Aine could brace herself Constance came running from the kitchen and smothered her daughter with a few hugs, and was crying profusely. "See what you have done to your mother. You"--

"Oh shutup Gerald!" Constance shouted. Her face of crying turned to one of anger. She put her hands on her hips. "I think its about time we own up to our end of things too...to single out Aine as the sole cause of family trouble is being unfair to her and her feelings...which is something you seem to have little of lately!"

Both Aine and her father were temporarily cowed by this outburst.

"You don't know the efforts I go through or how hard I work to sustain this family!" he said defensively.

"Enough from both of you!" Aine shouted. This was the type of scene she so desparately wanted to avoid. What good did it do to blame and shout at each other? "Come on mom, dad. Let's go into the kitchen. I have some things I want to say." They went into the dining room and sat at the table, not looking at each other for a moment.

"Mom and Dad, what I did, I later to came to realize was not very considerate of me at all. In fact, it was downright selfish." She looked down at the table.

Before their daughter could say more, Constance said, "We had no idea what might have happened to you, Aine. Of course the Guards told us a little about it later on and that you were safely in Haven, being given some attention from the Healers there; but that was much later the next morning. With the emotional state you left in we had no idea if you would ever come back, or talk to us again. In fact, we were sure you wouldn't..."

Gerald lit his pipe, taking it all in so far, not saying anything.

Aine was beginning to feel somehow smaller, reduced down to the bare minimum, with all her faults being exposed. She hung her head a little and continued staring down at her feet.

"Why did you feel you couldn't come back to eat at least? They said you were weak with hunger and exhaustion. You know you can always come back to us, for whatever reason, no matter what the circumstances are." Her gaze softened a little now as she looked at Aine and continued. "The worst of it all was not knowing where you were, or if you were alright. The feelings caused by that were tearing us apart inside; yes, even your Father."

Gerald blew smoke rings up in the air and watched them as they drifted and settled...still saying nothing.

Aine stood up and looked out the kitchen window as if to look out there would help her to focus her thoughts. "The reason I didn't want to come back at first was my own anger. I felt as if you weren't listening to what I wanted to do. As I was riding out across the countryside I began to feel not very good about myself." She brushed some crumbs off of the kitchen shelving. "It's almost funny but, I wasn't listening to you both either during that awful argument." I didn't want to come back because I didn't think I could face you after the things I said and did that evening. I acted rashly, without thinking about my welfare, or yours. I wanted to impress you and have you to be proud of me." She turned around facing her parents, looking them a little more in the eye now. "That's why I thought about going to the Collegium. I wanted you to be really proud of me. It was beginning to occur to me though, that with the way I acted, you probably wouldn't even want me to help with the leather business here." Aine was struggling to keep in her emotions. "That is not the way to get anywhere, and certainly not the way to be accepted at the Collegium. Mom, Dad, I...I am very sorry for what I did and I hope you will forgive me for acting rashly and thinking about what only I wanted. I did not think about how you two would feel. So if you wish me to stay in the family business for another year, of course I would do so." Aine 's eyes had moistened a little now.

Gerald raised his eyebrows. Constance was quite amazed by the depth of her insight in all this. Her daughter was learning fast about the ways of the world. She stared a little at her daughter, thinking of how even more beautiful she would be, inside and out, as time went on..

All three of them were silent for a brief period of time.

Finaly, Constance broke the silence, "Of course your apology is accepted dear. Your Father and I did not act exactly the way mature adults should either. And for that we are sorry. It would seem to me, Aine, that you are ready to move on. You should go to the Collegium if that is your heart's desire. The Guard acts with honor and consideration for others while at the same time being brave and ready to fight or do whatever they can to help this country." Constance found it difficult to contain her emotions too. "Would you have any objections to this Gerald?"

Gerald stirred a little uneasily in his chair. It was a little more difficult for him to be conciliatory. He tapped the ashes out of his pipe. He looked up at Aine and said, "I want you to go to the Collegium to. You have proved you have what it takes. We will manage here just fine." Aine's father stood up and patted her on the back rather roughly. "Besides, the Guards told me how you roughed up Simon Dewwart and his gang. You have my vote," he said laughing. "I've always hated him and his little clan of troublemakers and his Dad was worse if you can believe that. It serves the little bastard right what you did to him and his friends!"

Aine could not believe her ears. She was in a temporary state of disbelief. "I really don't know what to say..."

"Then say nothing my dear," Constance said smiling, "You have said enough."

"Go pack your bags Aine," her father said. "It is time to move on." He walked over to her daughter and did a rare thing, he hugged her. "Take care of yourself though, the world is rough out there. You will be tested and challenged no doubt, but I have quite the strong feeling that you will meet these challenges head on, and survive them."

Aine looked at her dad, she couldn't help it...she began to cry a little. "Thank you Dad, you don't know how much this all means to me."

"Oh I think we do Aine," said Constance. She walked over to her and hugged her daughter too.

She looked at her daughter proudly, overcome with emotion. "Your father is right, my dear, it is time. We want you to go. Know that we have always been proud of you, though perhaps we didn't say it often enough. You will be fine."

"If there is anything more you want me to do here before I go..." Aine offered.

"It would only be to go with our blessing," Constance said, "that is more than enough."

Aine turned and packed her bag.. Sshe really didn't need much because the Collegium would provide. If Rowland accepts me that is...she thought.

Aine gave her parents one more hug and they said their goodbyes. They watched as their daughter went on to face a new world.

Aine felt relieved yet at the same time saddened, now she would be venturing into unknown territory, she would face new dangers. Her parents had let her go...

Aine went out the door and the moonlight was breathtaking this evening. The night air was cool. She began to walk around the house again to go get Obsidian. She thought she heard an unfamiliar neighing. She was in the back of the Manse now and something drew her attention away from getting Obsidian. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a white luminous blur. It startled her and she looked out in the direction of the grazing fields. Out there in the moonlight was the most beautiful white stallion she had ever seen. In the dark and the moonlight the horse looked almost spectral, like something out of a dream. The horse turned to look at her with luminous blue eyes, exhaling steam. She felt an unearthly chill as a tingling sensation went up her spine and into her head. She was mesmerized and walked a little closer to this fantastic apparition. She rubbed her eyes, surely this had to be a dream.

:_This is no dream, Aine. I am Xirthan, and I Choose you. From here on out your life will be full of peril, excitement and adventure. You will become a Herald of Valdemar:_

Aine realized that this beautiful creature was speaking to her in her mind somehow. Her jaw dropped. "Are you...talking to me?"

_: I don't choose lightly. I am well aware of your potential, even if you aren't. You will be invaluable to the cause of Valdemar. You will reach heights that you thought of as never before possible. I have chosen well, Aine Myst. Let us go now. We shall ride on to Haven and then to the Collegium:_

She made her first attempt at mindspeaking. _:First, I must say goodbye to Obsidian:_

Xirthan came as close to laughing as a Companion could. _:I would have expected no less from you, Chosen:_

Aine walked over to the stables where Obsidian still was, still dumbfounded. She came up to her beloved horse and petted him on his mane again. "It is time for me to go on, my faithful horse. I will never forget you and you will always have a place in my heart." Aine began to cry, just a little. "Goodbye, good friend." Aine could have sworn the horse just winked at her. She turned around to go.

She mounted Xirthan. It was time...the old life would become the new. She would age and mature, and see much over the next few years. They rode off in the direction of Haven with the Moon and the stars as their guide. They rode like the wind, onward to a new realm of existence, ripping up the past as they went.


	16. A Crossing of Destinies

Chapter 16: A Crossing of Destinies...

It became apparent to the Heraldic Circle and the other military strategists of Valdemar that as time went on, the bandits were acting as 'stooges' or 'puppets' of the Karsites and their insidious plans. It was also becoming even more apparent that the time to act needed to be _very soon, _perhaps even before they were all truly ready. The bandits were doing the dirty work, the more outrageous and appalling the better, in an attempt to lure in the fine and heroic Heralds loyal to King Theran along with the Lord Marshal's best soldiers. The Karsites knew that the Valdemarans would not sit idly by while civilians were being murdered and their homes were being looted. It seemed that in each succeeding war that the Karsites became more intent, cruel and ruthless in their attempts to subjugate the Kingdom of Valdemar.

This time their intent was deception and delay, to make it seem like the bandits were the enemy, while the Karsites continued their massive build-up just behind them on the southern border of Valdemar. In this way, the Karsites figured the enemy would come to them unaware of their presence. The Valdemarans would be sitting ducks; while they were attacking the bandits and defending the humble little villages and farming country of the lowborn along with the neutral Holderkin down there, the Karsites would then attack mercilessly at the right time. As well, the Sun-Priests would be devising heinous means via the evil inspiration of the Sunlord Vykandis to inflict as much widespread torture as possible upon the advancing Valdemaran armies. Vykandis' influence and directives, coming from the Throne of Vkandis in Sunhame, were as a dark magic sowing subliminal messages in the people of Karse. In this way, most of them would act as automatons, mindlessly carrying out the edicts issued by Vykandis without question, acting almost as one large unit, with one common mind directing them. The employment of mob psychology was nothing new to the Karsites. Their subjects would carry out their orders blindlessly and faithfully no matter what, even if they were being slaughtered one by one and their comrades were falling down all around them...

Of course the Valdemarans had foreknowledge of this through the tireless efforts of their rugged and faithful Scouts. The efforts of those who had the far-sight and of those who were the fore-seers contributed as well. Their mind magics and talents weren't omniscient however so the strategists were hard at work devising a counter strategy; this plan combined with the knowledge of the Scouts and the fighting skills of the Heralds leading the soldiers on with their noble valor and sacrifice would save the day for Valdemar. King Theran, the Lord Marshal and other talented Heralds were burning the midnight oil in an attempt to put an end to all this as quickly as possible.

In Haven, near the Palace and the adjoining Collegium, Rowland was pacing restlessly outside gazing at the stars as if in an attempt to receive some kind of divination from the heavenly hosts, or at least a favorable omen there from. Tensions were becoming somewhat high and people were restless and busy making hasty preparations. The bandits and then the Karsites had to be stopped no matter what. In the most recent council meeting at the palace with King Theran, Jedin, and the Lord Marshal being in attendance, Rowland had informed them of the many new promising recruits, some with exceptional talents and some with as yet inchoate mind magics waiting to be further developed. Time was short, yet Rowland had informed them also that the new recruits would be very welcome reinforcements later in the war because of their sheer number and the more talented of them should be ready no later than the onset of Winter. They discussed strategies as well and left the meeting with profound feelings and a sense of urgency too; yet with King Theran's inspiration they also felt ready to prepare and meet the challenge.

Continuing to pace, and watching the full moon as it began to rise, Rowland thought of some of the new recruits, and in particular at this point, one Aine Myst who had just recently arrived with her Companion Xirthan. She had slightly surprised Rowland with her early wisdom when she had left earlier after recuperating in the Healer's Hall in an attempt to reconcile things with her family. She had known that, in order to be accepted and then be among the Chosen at Haven, she would have to put principal first ahead of her own immediate wants and desires. Only in this way could she fight valiantly and thus dedicate her services to Valdemar most efficiently and powerfully. There were many more recruits as well ready for schooling. The Collegium was exceptionally busy now with the training proceeding at an unprecedented pace. Yet, anxiety and fear did not seem to dominate any of these preparations at all. Rowland felt only pride and somewhat a sense of exhilaration amongst the people of Haven and the surrounding countryside of Valdemar. There was too long a valiant history, too much of a proud culture to not give the defending of it all its' most sincerest effort. The Bards would continue to tell the story of victory, inspired by heroics, love, and sacrifice. The pages would continue to turn...

In her room at the Collegium Aine gazed out the window at the rising of the full moon. Such tranquil and luminous beauty always inspired her to dream, to think of reaching new heights. Though not yet fully comprehending the full magnitude of all that was going to take place, she nonetheless felt an inescapable tug at her soul, an as yet indefinable thrilling and tingling of her nerves thinking about what part she was going to play in this vast drama of life and the struggle to defend it at all costs. She felt herself being slowly woven into the fabric of destiny, where the threads thereof would cross with many others. Soon, the excitement of it all would be felt.

As she continued to watch the ascension of the luminous, ethereal beauty of the moon, she felt an inward song being sung, and it was sung by her inner spiritual voice...soon it would take flight to soar amongst the stars. Soon, other voices would join in on the song... and the song would eventually return to her. As yet however, the song was not yet fully written...but it had begun. Nothing could stop any of it now...


	17. Parting is such Sweet Sorrow

The end of the school year at the orphanage was always a mix of joy and sorrow for Aunt Tildy. Joy at seeing the students succeed, and sorrow at seeing them leave; certain ones left an indelible impression on her. When they left, there was an emptiness behind which could never quite be filled by anyone else. She sighed and looked out the window by the sink. The sky at this time of year was always the most lucent, deep rich blue it could be. Noise drifted in, the noise of chatter and of the children doing their chores in the background.

Fenix and Jewellyn had left earlier this morning. It was one of the most difficult, emotional scenes of her life. Those two were bright, well behaved (most of the time); though Fenix could be surprisingly adventurous. They were even considerate despite that one time where they hadn't told her where they were going.

She looked at the necklace they had made for her. It shone nicely in the sunlight, sparkling as it swayed back and forth. It was a simple necklace made with one single leather strand, but attached to it was the most beautiful hand engraved silver coin she ever saw; surely they had it made in the highborn district with what little they earned doing odd jobs. It had engraved upon its shiny surface a laurel wreath, and within that was the symbol of life and love eternal, the Valdemarian Circle of Love. It was an infinite loop which seemingly had no beginning or no end. Its intricate clever design was pleasing to look at. It had to have cost a fortune, all their savings! When she asked about the price, Fenix and Jewellyn only smiled then told her price was not a measure to be considered. She had taught them about love, they had said. If you gave love a price, a monetary bind, it would only serve to cheapen it. The spiritual essence of it was what mattered.

They had grown so much and learned so much about life, yet she knew their were tough times ahead for them. Times where their spirits would be sorely tested. Times when they would feel like giving up. She was sure though that they would prevail, especially with some training from the Collegium in Haven. She continued with her musings. Of course, there would be those days or nights where one would feel the sublime essence of creation, a beautiful night-time sky strewn with shining stars; especially when you were with someone who saw and felt it too. It was a sharing of spirits in tune with the appreciation of and wonder of nature in all its' beauty. Also, simply knowing someone with a kindred spirit would be enough. Sometimes words weren't necessary. Sometimes love created its own unique message, which would express itself in subtle ways.

Aunt Tildy sighed, still looking out the window. She wondered how different life would have been had not Jacob died. He was the only man she had ever loved. Somehow she felt she could love no other man after that. A part of her heart had been torn out. A part where she chose not to try and replace. She looked at the leather knecklace again and her eyes began to tear a little. She thought of Fenix and Jewellyn again, wondering perhaps if they might fall in love someday.

Yet it was time to move on. This time they were entering a new phase of life, with it's direction still unclear at this point. They had explained to her their desire of going to Haven, and studying at the Collegium there. Aunt Tildy knew if they could get in there, they would be set for life. She had no doubt they would succeed. Yet, it could be very dangerous as well. Despite this, she knew they would be engaged in such noble goals as would benefit Valdemar in many ways.

The plan was for them to work and live on a farm for a while. There were many local farms tended to by honest hard working folks who needed a hand during harvest season, more than they could do for themselves; so it was common to hire 'outsiders,' as they referred to anyone who didn't live on their farm. In exchange besides the monetary gain, they would also be provided with some living quarters as long as they remained true in spirit and worked hard. These farmers knew who to go to when they needed hired hands; Aunt Tildy could always be counted on to recommend the best help.

She sent them off with a prayer and a wish.

The toughest part is the moment when you finally do send them off to be on their own...


	18. The Drawing of the Two

Hard work was something that Fenix and Jewellyn were used to, but still, the harvesting of the potatoes proved to be quite the hard labor. Bailing hay was 'back breaking'. On this sunny morning late in the season the smell of dried hay and shucked corn was in the air. The sky at this time of year was as blue as it could be. They had gotten this job in the hopes of raising up some money and at least finding some temporary living quarters. It was time to branch out. On Aunt Tildy's recommendation they got the job at Master Hagstones farm in the village of Chapel Hill, quite near to the Holderlands which is not too far from Karse. It was a long hot journey via a horse drawn coach. It took about two days to get down there and it was a hot dusty journey to the middle of farm country.

The two of them were sitting on a bail of hay. Fenix yawned and stretched, trying to get rid of the stiffness and soreness from the previous day's labor before they began the new day of it. At relaxing times like this he was wont to let his mind wander. He visualized Aine now and then, something about her persisted in his thoughts. He thought of maybe trying to mindspeak with her at times but at present this skill of his needed developing. He had little control of what he said at times (so he had to be very careful with who and when to use it) and the distance seemed to be limited. He laid back and looked at the sky with a piece of straw in his mouth."I wonder how Aine is faring these days, if she got into the Collegium at Haven?"

"I bet she had a a swift, safe journey there and just walked right in and they accepted her, no problem. She is quite the lady and a good fighter too." She looked at Fenix to see if her words affected him at all. She could have used her empathic skills with him but was usually very careful when to do this. She didn't want to know what _everyone_ was thinking all the time. She knew that would drive her insane, even if it went on for a brief period of time. She found herself wondering about Fenix's seeming ability to project his thoughts at her. She knew it was Fenix because it 'felt' like him. Also, it was almost as if she could really hear him at times, though he wasn't nearby. It startled her on more than one occasion.

"Why are you so quiet Jewellyn?" Fenix asked with a slightly annoyed look on his face.

"Oh it's nothing really," she looked at him and smiled. He was becoming more handsome everyday. He was also, thankfully, losing that odd poetic diction he had. There were times when she could just kiss him, yet he still semed so distant at times, unaware of her feelings for him. Probably because he's always thinking about Aine, she thought. When she thought about that she felt a little guilty inside...and a little jealous of Aine. She hadn't seen her a whole lot yet but saw enough to know that not only was Aine exceptionally beautiful, she was also quite the live wire. Excitement seemed to follow her wherever she went.

They both stood up realizing that they might even be a little late reporting for chores. "Oh, oh here comes Master Hagstone, I thought we could beat him to the punch," Fenix said sullenly, as if expecting the worst.

He came down the dirt path towards them, walking quite quickly. He gave off that certain aura people do when simmering emotions are brewing inside of them. You could feel the anger coming off of them in waves; it preceded them as an almost visible force. He was wearing his working clothes; he had on brown breeches with black workboots and a white shirt as yet unsoiled. He was a large man, quite muscular. He was bald on top with hair on the sides of his head. As he came near them you could see the sun reflect off the top of his shiny, waxy pate. His bushy eyebrows met at a descending angle, converging just right above the nose. He waved his hand in the air and exclaimed vociferously, "Why aren't you two already doing the chores! We have only two days to complete the harvest and the two of you were_ sitting _there chatting!" He snapped his fingers in the air and continued shouting, "Hurry up! We have to go to work _now!"_

Fenix hated it when he snapped his fingers like that. He was overall a good man and treated them fairly, generously providing for their needs in exchange for their labors. At times like that though he could stir your anger up a bit...he was quite the taskmaster and was very vocal about it.

Master Hagstone turned around, and briskly walked back to the barn and the stables area.

When he was out of hearing distance Fenix held up his arm and snapped his fingers in the air and with a look of mock anger shouted at Jewellyn, "Well come on, those potatoes aren't going to pull_ themselves _out of the ground, let's go, now!"

They both had a good laugh at that and Fenix thought of how sometimes your only defense against this crazy world was to laugh at it some, to have a sense of humor about all the craziness.


	19. Mere Chance?

MERE CHANCE?

(A Note from koromiel: Phoenix2056 is going in for surgery in the morning, so it might be a little while until the next chapter comes out. It is planned and ready...it just needs to be typed out. So we appreciate your patience. As always, feedback is appreciated. And I promise you...the next chapter will be a doozie! And with that, on with the story! Reviewers are loved!) UPDATE: Phoenix 2056 is back and added a few lines, so enjoy!

Fenix wiped his brow which was sweating profusely along with the all the rest of his other body parts. Overhead the sun was mostly white hot, the intensity of it's heat giving no clue to the approaching autumnal season. When you were doing farm work it was generally not wise to skimp too much on the clothing, hence Fenix and Jewellyn were basically wearing the same thing; coarse brown drawstring trousers along with white muslin shirts with the puffy sleeves which were at this time rolled back. Sometimes you had to compromise comfort for safety. Sunburns and those pesky horseflies were serious problems to consider.

He was guiding the furrowing plow after the harvest of the potatoes and the corn. Master Hagstone's black workhorse, Hobbs, was pulling the plow along. His black mane and velvet covered muscles refracted a little bit of the afternoon sun. This work was more difficult if possible than the actual harvesting. Jewellyn was picking out rocks up ahead, placing them in the wooden cart she had been pulling along. Fenix noted with a slight irritation that she did not seem to be sweating at all, did not even seem to be tiring from the day's labors.

"Hey Jewellyn!" he shouted to her up ahead, pausing with the plow. He could barely breathe at times in this heat. The wind stirred up some more dust in the air. She gestured to her ear indicating that she could hear and that he should go on. At this time, because of the distance, he wanted to try a little mindspeak, which caused him to think of the Heralds from Haven since they could do that too and just about anything else they wanted to do. Someday, he mused, I must really go there, maybe attend the Collegium_...if _I ever get chosen that is. Still, though not totally aware of it, this skill of his would blossom into a very useful talent in the near future. Even so he had to be very careful, the thoughts that came out of his mind always seemed to be less censored than his ordinary speech. He took a swig from his drinking pouch, then resumed, "I want to know how come I am working just as hard as _you, _yet you hardly seem to be breaking a_ sweat!" _he asked loudly above the noise of the wind.

Jewellyn grinned widely, cupped her mouth and shouted, "Oh, didn't you know dear Fenix, that we women _never_ sweat? It's because we are more efficient. We don't waste time always figuring out how to do things like you men do, we just know how to do it! Also, we women are superior too in that we don't have a lot of the same vulgar habits you men have, such as--"

"Oh, I know where you are going with _that_ milady," he said interrupting her, then pausing briefly to catch his breath. Then he went on, "you women just don't do those things amidst the company of men!" He gestured flamboyantly then said mockingly, "We men however, though we don't usually hide it, are really more discreet with our vulgarities. We know the proper times to let loose...ah how shall we say it, in this case, our ah...internal gases!" he shouted. "It's very amusing sometimes the things you can learn by taking on different guises. There's been more than one time when I've scattered a rude bunch of pompous noblemen as they haughtily discuss the shortcomings of the local peasantry via an exudation of foul odors! It is amusing to watch them look at each other, slightly wincing, wondering who had dealt the offensive odor. Of course, they would never accuse one another, it just wasn't civil! Noblemen don't pass gas, that task is left to the peasantry!" He wiped more sweat from his brow. That soliloquy left him feeling a bit weak.

By this time Jewellyn was laughing out loud, and had to take quite the drink from her water pouch. She pitched another rock into the cart and said, "Fenix, sometimes you are a bit much!"

Despite Fenix' levity he was beginning to feel a bit like he might not be able to stand the heat much longer. There was virtually no shading right here in the farm field, only the sun beating down on an endless field of dirt...and they were getting dangerously low on drinking water. He could 'see' the heat waves coruscating and emanating from the hot soil a little ways beyond. Feeling light-headed now, he swayed a little as he continued to plow.

At that moment, one of the bits holding the left steering rail to the plow broke, in effect rendering it incapable of turning right. "This isn't good!" Fenix exclaimed. "Old Hagstone is _really_ going to blow his top now, he'll say we're incompetent, we'll lose our jobs, we'll lose our living quarters , we'll _starve!" _Oddly, against character, Fenix did seem to be assuming a sense of mild panic here. "What are we going to do now!" he looked around frantically, looking somewhat lost, almost as if he was hoping some kind of answer would magically appear in the air and set things right.

Jewellyn sensed real panic coming off of Fenix. This wasn't like him at all. Maybe it's the heat, she mused, feeling a slight sense of panic herself now. She approached nearer to him and asked with an anxious concern, "Fenix, are you ok?" He didn't seem to be looking at anything in particular, his skin was pale, and sweat was literally dropping off of him. She feared he was going to pass out at any moment. "Fenix!"

His eyes rolled back and he fell into her arms and she eased him down to the ground. Instinctively it seemed, she placed her hands on his forehead, working her fingers about delicately yet with a sense of purpose. Jewellyn began to feel slightly ill. She was beginning to feel the heat more intensely now. She could feel that dizzying sense of panic and it seemed that she could feel her life ebbing then flowing out from her. Her skin became clammy and she tried with all her might to resist the ill effects of this heat shock with all the spiritual and physical strength at her command. She seemed to dimly realize that she was actually absorbing the ill effects of Fenix' illness, much as an empath would. She moaned and struggled and it seemed almost as if she were fighting an uphill battle. Despite all that she 'sent' soothing waves of calm at him to ease his suffering some more. It seemed to be working. Fenix' expression took on more of a placid mien. In sharp contrast she felt very fatigued and drained. She lay down on a burlap sac they had brought, it was time to relax. She was approaching sleep but fought it because to fall asleep out here in the remaining heat , of course, would be highly dangerous. She sensed that all was going to be well now though. _Sooner rather than later, _she hoped.

_Once we come around, _she thought, _maybe we could take Hobbs to go see Mr. Hagstone for some help or tools or something. It would be a long ride back but the cooling evening was approaching and we do have a little water left, all of which would help some. _She continued musing: _What about what had happened with the bit in the plow breaking and how just that little event already changed the course of the whole day; what would all then happen as a result of this? _She also thought, _what if this had not happened then how would the day have gone? It was odd sometimes how life could be changed for the better or worse, just by a small happening of mere chance, or was it only chance? _Somehow this event would maybe change their course of destiny in a major way, whatever that was to be. She visualized the broken plow as kind of a metaphor for her thoughts; how the plow could only go one direction now and how it seemed this afternoon's events were diverting them in one single direction, for a purpose as yet to be revealed.

Fenix was coming around now. She felt relieved to see her efforts met with success. When fully recovered they would seek out Mr. Hagstone. No doubt he would tell them to get some tools from the blacksmith in the nearby village and fix it themselves. Fenix sat up and looked around, still in kind of a daze. She would have a time, no doubt, explaining to him what had happened here.

The sun began it's descent, and Jewellyn looked up at the sky. Were the many diverse Gods of Valdemar behind all this? Were they all merely actors in a play, stumbling blindly along via some god's errant whims? Or was there something more purposeful going on here, a meeting of people and destinies uniting in one common goal?

_Like it or not, _Jewellyn thought, _some of the answers would soon be on their way._


	20. Something in the air

Chapter 20: Something in the air...

Fenix and Jewellyn were having a difficult time with Hobbs who frequently snorted and neighed with impatience when they attempted to ride him. When the two of them tried to mount him together it was almost a major disaster. Hobbs threw them off with a violent ease and fortunately they landed back on the thick grass, albeit with a hard shock as they landed. The same result occurred, though a lot less violently, when only one of them, Fenix, tried to mount Hobbs.

"Well by the Havens!" Fenix swore loudly, startling Jewellyn. "Is this not a horse, meant to serve man, for the purposes of our transport?"

_Fenix has a lot to learn about horses,_ thought Jewellyn, then said out loud, "Really Fenix, he is only a workhorse after all and an old one at that, I guess we shouldn't have been too surprised."

"Well I'm getting sick and tired of--" What he was going to say made him think about something: _Hey just what had happened back there on the farm field. I passed out from the heat and next thing I knew Jewellyn was above me crying and not looking so great. _Drained _would be the way to describe it._

_:Say Jewellyn, what happened back there after I collapsed on the farm field:_ That popped out of his mind suddenly, startling himself in the process...

Jewellyn looked startled as well and looked at him with surprised eyes. This was the most direct evidence so far of his mindspeaking abilities that she suspected he had. She wanted to ignore this, instead, looking down at her feet, she said, "I helped you Fenix, in a way I never have before, that's all I can seem to say right now." She looked into his brown eyes for a little assurance that they wouldn't talk too much about this right now. She was a little confused; for one, it seemed to happen almost instinctively and then she wondered, did she do it out of love or was it merely a clinical occurrence with no emotion behind it? Fenix smiled back at her and they moved on.

On their work journeys she had heard some rumors just a little north of the local farm villages in the Holderlands which were also fueling her thoughts about forthcoming events...it was all about the Bandits, and of course Karse, lurking in the background. Sometimes she felt for the Holderkin as they, in their own puritanical and stubborn way, were only trying to live peacefully without intrusion from Valdemar or Karse. Of course they had heard rumors of rogue bands, of these Bandits; and the stories she were told she hoped would prove to be not true. _There were _always_ the Karsites_, Jewellyn mused. _They _always_ think they can take advantage of Valdemar. _She was thinking of all this simply because of the incident back at the farm field. All of that had prompted questions about the life and death struggles, the thinking about their destinies; the decisions and the events that can affect all this and how it would lead to the fight for love, the fight for life.

"You're in a rather deep thought, Jewellyn. Is something troubling you?" Fenix looked at her with a slight concern. He still felt a little weak from the day's trials and wasn't looking forward at all to meeting Mr. Hagstone, let alone explaining to him what happened. He wiped back his sweaty brown hair which was looking all the worse for wear. _We should've brought our straw hats with us to protect us a little from the sun, _he mused. There was something about hindsight...

She simply replied absentmindedly in answer to his question, "Yes, yes there is Fenix."

Master Hagstone's farm had come into view as they walked down the hill.

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Yay! Another chapter finished! Things are definitely gonna get good soon here. The next chapter is in the editing process, so I will get it out as soon as I can. Phoenix is doing well and seems to be on a roll, so if things go as planned, we'll be poppin' more out here in the next few days. As usual, reviewers are loved.

Kathleen - Thanks for the reviews! We're glad someone enjoys the story!


	21. Leading to a Convergence

Chapter 21: Leading to a Convergence.

Aine Myst could sense it already. She tossed and turned, knowing it was soon time to get up. She was receiving those vague premonitions coming at her again, something big was brewing, she felt. It wasn't so very strong yet, but she could tell something was going to be amiss today. _Time to get up now though. _She yawned and stretched, her thoughts returned to her reconciliation with her parents and of how that night turned out to be magical as well with Xirthan appearing and Choosing her. She thought of Fenix and Jewellyn, wondering what they were up to. She had hoped somehow that they would end up here. _Well, maybe they still will, _she thought, _and if they do, I'll show them the ropes around here, tell them who to watch out for..._

She thought Jewellyn was a nice girl and liked her, but there was something about her that slightly irritated Aine, though she didn't know quite what it was yet. As far as her feelings for Fenix went, she wasn't quite sure what to make of it yet. She was attracted to him but it seemed different than anything she had felt before. _He sure is a bumbler, _she thought, _but there is something about him. _She shook her head. _There'll be time to think about that later, like next time he tries to climb a tree, _she laughed at her own thought. _What is it with that guy and trees anyhow?_

The sun began its ascent, painting the sky a pastel orange, soon to be overtaken with clear blue skies. She dressed for some more training with Weaponsmaster Biggs. She looked forward to these lessons, he seemed genuinely interested in developing her skills. At this time, she was learning and refining her hand to hand combat...then on to the weapons, the sword in particular. She wanted to learn skills for the sword most over anything else. She knew that there was a slight increase in activity around here lately and that King Theran, Jedin, the Lord Marshal, and the rest of the Council were, of course, busy with the conduction of business here. Yet more attention these days was being turned outward as well...mostly having to do with events a little further south.

She had to admire herself; the way she looked in the Herald-Trainee Grays was even better than she thought it would be. In the silver plate mirror she thought she looked impressive, as these Grays she was wearing had an elegantly simple, yet functional design. She had her blonde hair tied back in a ponytail and she was surveying herself with those arresting cobalt-blue eyes of hers. Soon she was going to be taking a couple more classes with Weaponsmaster Biggs. She learned from some of the other recruits at the Herald Collegium when she first arrived that he indeed was kind of big and burly; yet despite his bulk, he was extremely agile, almost to a frightening degree if you considered his weight factoring in there. _Well, if I am able to beat him,_ she thought, _maybe I can become a Weaponsmaster someday as well._ She smiled at her reflection once more and decided it was time to stop primping. She changed from her formals into her training greys and began her way outside to her classes and then later to meet with Xirthan.

From out in the Companion's stables, Xirthan chimed into her mind, startling her. _:Don't bite off more than you can chew, Chosen.: _he sniggered as best a Companion could.

Aine crossed her arms, rolled her eyes and sighed. _:Compared to the bites you take out of me, mine would be considered dainty.:_ she stuck her tongue out at him, though he could not see it.

They both 'smiled' inwardly at this friendly exchange of banter.

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Walking along now on her way to classes she could see outside the Collegium. It appeared that in Haven too, that there was a little increase in activity from the usual day's events. More Herald Guards were riding cicuit; inside and outside the capital of Valdemar as well. Merchants could be seen with their horse drawn carts, stirring up clouds of dust onwards to their next destination.

She could see the Courtyard and the inner Gardens of the Collegium in more detail as she walked along. _It's not a frantic amount though_, Aine observed. Nonetheless something of importance was going on. Between the Council's quarters in the Palace and the Lord Marshal's she saw couriers and messengers going back and forth. The usual measured order of all the training details seemed interrupted. She decided to rush down to the Weaponsmaster's training ground. Breakfast could wait.

Aine reached the salle, but Biggs wasn't there. She then ran down the hall and headed towards the Companions Field because she could have sworn she saw Herald Rowland, along with a more advanced trainee, heading in this very direction on horseback. As she stepped outside in the mid-day sun she saw this indeed to be true. There was a look of some urgency on Rowland's bearded face, bearded because he wished to hide some of his battle scars. He was currently wearing his impressive Herald whites. Aine imagined herself in this same impressive attire, thinking of how great she would look..

_:First things first, chosen. How does that saying go, let's see...oh yes. Don't put the applecart ahead of the horse...something like that:_

_:Later Xirthan...: Aine sighed._

Upon her arrival at the Companion's Field she noticed that in Biggs' attendance was Herald Trainee Ebson, who was ready to start his training. He wanted to be a master at martial arts too. Aine sized him up. _Not too bad, _she thought, _but I could probably take him. _Rowland's attendee, introduced himself as Master Gaines._ He's only a trainee like me, _thought Aine, _but he sure is handsome,_ she half-fawned.

"AINE!" shouted Weaponsmaster Biggs, startling her out of her little reverie. "I want you to be in on this!" Biggs already was impressed with Aine and he wanted this to be part of her education.

"Yes sir! Weaponsmaster!" she walked closer to the group who was even now discussing things. A quite animated discussion it was indeed.

_:Pay close attention Aine, note everything:_

_:I will: Aine began to feel the impatience coming on. :Really, Xirthan…you're worse than a mare with her first foal. I think I can determine what to take note of and what not to take note of, thank you.:_

Xirthan decided to bite down on his mindspeaking 'tongue'.

"All right! Everyone settle down and be quiet," Rowland urged. When Rowland gestured people usually responded accordingly without question. "I've already spoken with the Council on this, Weaponsmaster, but I wanted you to hear this...ah! Aine! Good to see you! You have noted I'm sure how there's been a little increase of activity here today. We have received a message via mindspeak from one of our Heralds in positions near the Holderlands. It seems those ruthless Bandits are on a bit of a rampage and working their way slowly northwards, about ten leagues in distance to Valdemar, which puts them about three fourths of the way up through the Holderlands. They seem to be heading for our little farming villages just north of there. Of course it's terrible what they are doing to the neutral Holderkin there and we will do what we can to aid them as quickly as possible. Now that they are daringly moving northwards, we are forced to intervene on a greater scale. It would seem that the Bandits want to draw us in on a further confrontation with the Karsites there in the near future."

"Rowland, do you think the Karsites would be tempted to intervene right then and there, fight us back a little, regroup and then attack again?" Aine ventured.

Rowland raised his eyebrows a little at this and said, "Very good question Aine! I don't think though that the Karsites will show their hand yet. They will remain in the shadows. I really think, and this has come from various sources, that they, the Bandits, plan to enrage us so much that we will have to move in and give it all of our attention. What choice would we have? The Karsites think they will surprise us and maybe they will to some degree, who knows what plans they have hiding up their blood-spattered sleeves? In this case, however we will simply play into that hand...we will retreat, then briefly acting as if we have no idea the Karsites are there...then..." Here Rowland paused a little, knowing that many lives would be lost despite any brilliant strategies the Lord Marshal and his Heralds could come up with. "We are going to let them have it...in a big way." Rowland thought of how they were going to try and throw _everything _at them this time, enough was enough. Many young lives would be lost, even lives that had not yet reached Herald status...sometimes this depressed him greatly. He felt his Companion, Azura,caress the back of his mind.

_:As it was and ever shall be? I think not my love, relax and we will work together. We will put all our arguments aside for now, that is if your ego can handle it: _

Rowland smiled, actually he liked to be teased and Azura was happy to oblige.

_:Thank you Azura, you always seem to know what to tell me just at the right moment, even if you do have major misconceptions about my ego:_

"I think I know where you are going with this, Sir Rowland," offered Biggs. "I will notify some of the more advanced Heralds and trainees to help on this one, of course we shall aid in any way possible. We shall form a party immediately. Let's go!"

"We shall meet at the gate with the assembled party then. I will confer with King Theran and Jedin to see who else and how large a party we should bring." Sir Rowland replied.

"Wait," Aine yelled, "I want to go! I must!" She looked quite eager, ready to take on almost anything.

Sir Rowland sighed a little and said, "I know how badly you want to go Aine, but I can't let you. I am going to need you later, when you are ready. It would be almost suicide to send you in there now." That was that.

They all turned away to meet at the Gate, except the two other trainees and Aine. She looked at them and said defiantly, "I am going anyway!" They looked at her and shrugged their shoulders, then looked at each other knowingly, as if she was a bit daft. She turned around and said, "Jelly bellies! I am going regardless!" And with that she took off in the direction of the heavily guarded exit gate.

A few people seemed to be running around aimlessly Aine noted, yet most seemed to be on a mission of some kind. She eagerly awaited at the gate and it wasn't long before she noticed the Herald Guards and some of the more advanced Trainees were mounted on their stunningly beautiful Companions. Most of them wore the off white battle leathers, but a few, like Sir Rowland and the King's own Jedin, had on their pristine white Herald uniforms. Brandishing many types of weapons which glinted in the sunlight and mounted on their Companions or regular battle horses, they all prepared to exit through the slowly rising exit gate.

Weaponsmaster Biggs stood astride the gate on the upper pilaster and shouted words of encouragement at the exiting party, raising and swinging one of his prized swords in the air all the while. His muscles sweated and glinted in the sunlight, and his bushy sideburns and bright shiny pate, together with his shout reddened cheeks, all combined to give him that air of a Battle Rouser, which is something that he had done in his younger days as a Bard-Trainee before he switched vocations.

Xirthan emerged from the Companion stables, and seeing that Azura had left as well, was curious to see the rest of what was going on. Preparations were being made and _everyone_ wanted to help He knew that Aine was out there amidst the mad preparations and that she was being very impatient again and wanted to jump the gun. She wanted to go to the raid sites. Xirthan chose not to intervene with his mindspeech at this time.

Aine was running up to the gate and Xirthan decided he was going to catch up to her, after all, he did have to look out for her too. She yelled up at Weaponsmaster Biggs, "I am ready to go!" she shouted defiantly, her cobalt blue eyes burning with passion. "No one can stop me!" Weaponsmaster Biggs smiled down at her full of pride, he knew Aine was a live wire as he once was. He had on occasion breeched the rules himself, only to worry about the consequences later, which he knew, Aine would have to face sooner or later as well. In the meantime there was much excitement in the air and he did something now which he couldn't quite fully explain later. He reached down and handed his second most prized battle sword, _Justice, _down to Aine's grasping hands. She looked surprised and her eyes grew big and she shouted, "For me, Sir Biggs?"

He nodded vigorously in the affirmative, knowing there probably would be a large coin to pay for this later. _I just hope it isn't to pay for her death, _he thought grimly. He had sort of an implicit faith in her though, from what little training he had offered her already, it was clear this young woman had spirit, with a capital S, which would carry her through many future challenges, he was sure of it.

Aine looked up at the sword, almost as if it were some kind of religious icon. It appeared quite lengthy with the way she gazed at it. The sun sparkled off the tip of it, causing her to squint. She felt a thrill surge through her body while hefting the sword. It had just the right balance, and it gave her more of a commanding presence and a sense of strength, so she felt. This sword would have power, and she knew without a doubt, she would be using it very soon. That thought caused her to shudder and tingle a little in nervous anticipation of the coming events.

From now on, it was all for Valdemar. All efforts would be devoted to the preservation of the land and it's heritage. People would meet who would have never met before. Some people would be tested to the limits and some would survive all the better for the experience. Some would not survive. At times it would seem like destiny and fate were clashing, not having any true purpose or goal in mind. Many will wonder if this is all a matter of sheer luck? Or is it guided destiny? Who decides who shall live and who shall die? The only thing which would guarantee a favorable twist of fate was the working together of many people. People would sacrifice so the good life could go on. People would fight and ensure that things were not left to mere chance.

Xirthan galloped in and Aine nodded, nothing needed to be said. Aine mounted and off they went, leaving behind a cloud of dust. Aine had her sword in hand and she was going to do her part to ensure victory no matter the price. She also knew though, that there was serious trouble up ahead. She could feel it, coming in on her like waves. Aine felt a little nervous. Feeling a surge of adrenaline and joining the rest of the group now, they took off with one goal in mind...


	22. Ominous Prelude

Chapter 22: Ominous Prelude

This time, at least, they were given actual riding horses. Master Hagstone was quite irritated at the latest turn of events, coming just a lttle short of blaming them if the fields weren't ready for late fall and the approaching winter. Old Hagstone figured since they broke it, they could fix it. Angrily, he sent them off to Knoll's Ridge, for it was there where Ash had his blacksmith shop. Ash was Valdemaran born, but seemed to prefer living in the Holderlands these days.

While Fenix and Jewellyn were at the farm, preparing for their relatively short journey, they had heard from Master Hagstone about some of the Bandit's raids which, for now, were taking place further south near Karse. The Bandits, claiming allegiance to no-one, were beginning to invade the Holderlands. Master Hagstone warned them to stay alert, but he figured they would be about as safe as they usually would be since the Heralds were beginning to establish outposts nearby to keep an eye on the situation.

So now, they were on their way because though Master Hagstone had some of the tools, he did not have the parts necessary to fix the plow. He had_ intended _to get them soon, he had told them, just in case something like this would happen. Jewellyn could still picture the look on his face as he told them he didn't think he would have to get the parts this_ soon_ yet. Thus implying it was they, through their carelessness and inattentiveness, that was the cause of the whole problem.

Jewellyn figured out just what it was that was troubling her, besides the overall scheme of things she felt were lurking in the background, it was Fenix; he seemed to be so unsure of himself and easily agitated these days. It was out of character for him compared to just not too long ago.

Out of nowhere, Jewellyn spoke. "I think you need a sense of purpose, Fenix. Something to give your life _impetus. _Something to fight for."

(Phoenix's note: something like _love, to protect and fight for, love in accordance with the prologue and the end of the story. _Love fought for, secured, then enjoyed and shared is the best kind of love there is, It's _worth_ fighting for...give up on _that_ and all is lost...end of note)

Fenix paused on his horse, they were on their way to procure some tools and parts for the broken plow, which now would have to be fixed the following morning. He looked at her askance, saying, "Huh? What are you trying to say here, Jewellyn? Are you trying to say I'm_ lacking _somehow?"

They both resumed a steady gait down the path towards the Holderlands' village of Knoll's Ridge, just a few leagues distance from the border of Valdemar. From Knoll's Ridge the nearest burg was Sensolding, a little further southeast.

Jewellyn couldn't resist answering a question with a question, "Are you trying to imply that you _weren't _aware of anything lacking, Fenix?" She smiled coyly.

Fenix paused his horse again. Jewellyn pulled up next to him, halting her horse too. "Um, no…but I can figure these things out for myself, Jewellyn. I don't need you to lecture me." Fenix said with mild irritation, then gazed sullenly in her direction.

"I think you're becoming _increasingly_ irritated as time goes on here, I think you are the type who needs a clearly defined goal and the means to achieve it. In case you hadn't noticed Fenix, I really_ like _you and I want to help you too; just simply because, and _not _because I think you are inadequate."

Fenix, startled a little at the mention of her word _'like', _softened his gaze. "I need to develop my skills. Whether it be as a Bard or whatever, I want to fight for, or at least _help to _defend our country, especially after some of the things I've been hearing lately. " He paused, drawing his hand through his hair, "Normally I am a pacifist though. I wonder if I could come through should the need arise?"

He gazed out at the horizon, the sun was beginning to set. A few hours and it would be dark. They resumed a steady gait towards Knoll's Ridge. "Do you mean, could you go for the killif it were necessary to save someone or to help defend the country?" Jewellyn asked with a slight concern on her face.

"Yes I mean exactly that. Whatever I become, whatever my destiny, I want to be _out there _helping, not just being idle; so you are right after all. I am becoming more annoyed as time goes on. Something will have to happen one way or another. I'll have to do something." Suddenly, Fenix felt himself thinking about tall trees, one in particular...

"Well Fenix, let's just hope it's not _too _soon or _too_ tragic."

They came to the top of a hill and stopped their horses. The rest of the trail led downwards to the village of Knoll's Ridge...something wasn't right, they noted. Apparently, it was all to be _sooner_ than they had thought.

"Jewellyn, something isn't right down there, there's way too much smoke, way too much activity."

Jewellyn's stomach gave that uneasy turn when you know something bad is probably going to happen. She could sense a growing urgency in Fenix.

Fenix kicked his horse into a full gallop and took off down towards the village, leaving behind a cloud of dust.

"Wait Fenix! You have no idea what's going on down there!" She took off after him.

_:AAAAAIIIIIIIINNNNNNEEEEEEE:_

Upon seeing some of the carnage and mayhem, Fenix sent out that alarm almost instinctively, hoping Aine or some of the other Heralds would 'hear' his call and get here _fast._ In addition to the Heralds here, there were Heralds scattered about in the area, either scouting or riding circuit in the surrounding countryside. Then, Fenix got down there to the bottom of the path as the carnage was intensifying and coming a little closer this way; this was no small raid. It was a fairly large village, but wide open and thus hard to defend.. A few brave souls from the village and a small squadron of Valdemar's best were attempting to at least hold off the Bandit's rout of looting and carnage. From there on in, things began to happen _very_ fast...

--------------------------------------

On Xirthan, Aine, much to her astonishment, found herself in the lead of this advancing troop of Herald Guards and Trainees, mostly, she figured, because she seemed to be the only one at this point who could sense and focus in on the nearby danger. Her FarSight was beginning to grow and develop a little more by the simple act of using it. As they thundered forward on their Companions, leaving behind clouds of dust, something seemed to 'shout' in on them, though nothing was actually heard by the ears. It seemed to come out of the very air, bringing everyone to a halt by its' vital force:

_:AAAAAIIIIIIIINNNNNNEEEEEEE:_

Shocked, Aine knew exactly who the mindspeaker was. It was Fenix, and coming from a clearly defined direction.

_:The time has come, Chosen:_ Xirthan was ready and eager to go.

"Okay, that way!" she yelled, pointing in a southeasterly direction. Everyone else followed suit, and the thundering horde was now well on it's way.

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Koromiel: Another chapter completed! So now I'm gonna be mean as a co-author. We know we're getting hits, but we're not seeing the comments! I want at least ONE comment before I post the next chapter. (hehe.) Prefferably two or three...maybe four...

--Phoenix just drops his head and sighs--

Koromiel: ;; eh heh...so anyway, show us the love and we'll love you back!

REVIEWER LOVE: Thanks for the comments Sean! We're glad you're enjoying it!


	23. Even the Spirit Shall Weep

An arrow from one of the few Archers here had found one of the Bandits in the neck, and Fenix noted with much squeamishness that the blood was literally spurting out of his large artery. The Bandit quickly fell to the ground right into a pile of burning wood. The smell of the wood burning combined with the odor of burning flesh permeated the air. Smoke was everywhere. About a quarter of the village had been decimated by now. Fenix began to search for a hiding place before he would be found. Quickly and with a sense of urgent panic, he urged the horse onwards.

Some of the Guard were there too in their off white battle leathers, engaged in swordfights with the Bandits. It appeared to Fenix that the Herald Guards were holding out at least. Yet there seemed to be way too many of the enemy. Off to the right a little out there Fenix saw, wishing he hadn't, one of the Guard had grasped his sword with both hands, and then yelling with rage, swung it in a vicious whistling arc right across the neck of an onrushing Bandit. The Bandit's head flew up in the air with a surprised expression on it's face and thudded on the ground, his cephalic appendage still grimacing and staring upwards at the smoky sky.

Suddenly realizing he was being very foolish and quite reckless for his safety, he dismounted the riding horse and took temporary shelter behind one of the few huts which weren't yet set aflame. He hunkered down, still hearing the horrific din of battle. Fenix was beginning to get sick...the smell, the noise...the sights, were getting a bit much to handle. Scattered about here and there the rogue Bandits were starting fires and bursting into doors. They were short and muscular and most of them seemed to be balding. One bandit nearby burst into a door and Fenix heard screams...then silence...and then a low guttural sound of laughter was heard...Their seemed to be no plan to their madness, just a reckless and cruel carnage.

_Where is Jewellyn? _he thought with a mild sense of panic.

_Why in Valdemar's name are they doing this! _Fenix tried not to think. He was trying to fend off his horror and shock at what he was seeing. _The Heralds had better get here fast._ Fenix began to feel some rage building inside him; an unfamiliar feeling, kind of like an unborn wild beast, eager to come alive and eager to exact revenge. _Those bastards! I want to get out there now! _The growing anger and the emotions of everything else were a bit much for Fenix, his head began to spin a little. _If I had a weapon, surely I'd go out there...wouldn't I? _A little self doubt was encroaching in upon him. That old inner, paralyzing block seemed to be coming back.

At that moment, Jewellyn minus her horse ran in front of Fenix's view, she was frantic, looking around wildly.

He cupped his mouth, whispering loudly, _"Jewellyn, back here!"_

Startled, she looked back, astonished to even _see_ Fenix who motioned her back to join him behind the hut. She did so, huddling down by Fenix, nearly out of breath. She was trying to tone down her empathy skills somewhat as the sad and raging emotions from the battle were overwhelming her. She began to get a headache. "I heard your call for Aine, _loud and clear,"_ she managed to stammer.

"I just hope everyone else heard it." Fenix looked up to see the mayhem encroaching nearer, and just in time to see a Herald brought down via the wicked sword of a Bandit. "Jewellyn, so far they haven't come too near this house. A little while ago, I thought I heard something in that house, though I can't be sure. Can you perhaps sense anyone in there? If there is, we must help them!"

Jewellyn tried to focus in on the inside of the house only...she closed her eyes, concentrating, "I sense some anxiety in here probably from an adult, and probably from a very frightened small child as well...that's coming in very clear Fenix."

"Then we have to get in there and protect them somehow," he whispered. "The Bandits are sure to come here, and soon. We have to." Fenix looked up a little, then said, "We have to crawl in that window _now_ Jewellyn. It shouldn't be too difficult, it's already open." The noise of battle continued outside. Someone screamed. _The present force here couldn't hold out much longer_, Fenix mused.

Jewellyn practically blanched._ "Are you crazy? _That is someone else's home. We can't just go in there unannounced." Fenix looked at her with an urgency that was on the borderline of pleading. She couldn't take much more of it. Finally she took in a deep breath and said, "Alright...let's go then."

They tried to be very quiet as they started to climb into the window. They didn't want to make any noise of course, and they didn't want to startle the inhabitants too much either. The window was kind of close to the door. They briefly entertained the idea of going in through the front door but didn't want to risk being seen by the Bandits of course. It might have worked but too chancy.

At that moment Fenix and Jewellyn heard what they figured to be a very welcome noise. Thunderous hoof beats and a voice yelling, "Chaarrrrgggggeee!"

They looked at each other with subdued glee, it had to be Aine and...lots of other company, he hoped. They couldn't see them as they climbed into the window, but they heard the sound of many arrows being shot out and the unmistakable swoosh and clattering of swinging swords. Then they fell to the floor and for the moment tried to remain quiet. Fenix looked around and saw the opposite door beginning to open, just a little. Someone was there!

"Hold on, we're here to help you."Fenix whispered. Suddenly and shockingly the front door behind them burst open with a loud _CRACK! _Now things were happening very fast. It was the Bandits! The room immediately reeked of sweat as they rushed in kicking Fenix and Jewellyn brutally aside as evidently they had other prey in mind. _Not that door…no._ Fenix thought, trying to keep quiet. He grimaced from the pain though and heard Jewellyn crying too. Fenix tried to look up and see what was going on.

One of the Bandits grinned like a hungry wolf and told his other comrades in a guttural voice, "It's the m_ayor's_ wife we have here in this house I bet,_ behind that door." _He gestured with a thick, bloody arm in that general direction. "She certainly _must _know of any money here, I think that would be a good guess right?" He cast an exaggerated glance at his two comrades, expecting to hear nothing but outright approval.

"Indeed, 'twould be a sure thing!" the two others shouted in unison, smiling wickedly.

"Then we are going to charge through that door right _now_!" They all charged in that general direction and burst through the door. "There she is..."

At this point, pain or not, Fenix couldn't stand it any longer. The veins stood out on his forehead very vividly. Inside, that wild beast was now ready to be born. Inside, he swirled with rage. His eyes took on a steely appearance. He felt as if he were going to burst if he didn't do something soon...

From behind the door: "Ther--there's no money here," a female voice sobbed.

"Kill the kid! _Then_ maybe she'll talk!". The Bandit in charge commanded, spitting on the ground near the woman's head.

"Noooooooo! she screamed.

Fenix charged in through the door, the Bandits basically being unaware of him. With a shock beyond what he had experienced thus far in his short life he realized he was too late! In slow motion, as it seemed to Fenix, he only had time to watch as the other Bandit's blade came down upon the crying child. The Bandit then slit the baby's belly open...and laughed as he did it.

The Bandit turned around with a hateful expression of glee on his face. He seemed to be _enjoying_ this.

Jewellyn did not see it, but knew what had happened and began to cry deeply. She tried with much effort to subdue her empath skills at this time, there was too much agony and pain going on. She also began to feel something which caused her to shiver. It was an alien feeling, and it scared her. To Jewellyn it felt or seemed like a dark snake of long repressed anger coiled within her, yet it seemed to be coming from someone else. It almost made her feel sick. She sensed a nasty energy in the air that was seeking a target, the dark snake was going to be born... She tried to work her way over to the mother, heedless of all that was going on within her and around her.

"Noooooooo! DAMN BASTARDSSSS!" he yelled. He charged forward violently with a mad look in his eyes, startling the Bandits. Even they could see the mad lust for a wicked retribution in Fenix's eyes. He head-butted one of the Bandits with a mad, rushing charge, causing the bandit to suddenly regurgitate a loud, WHOOSH! Fenix had felt no pain but the Bandit did. The trauma the Bandit was dealt caused him to drop his sword. Fenix wasted no time picking it up. The other Bandits ran out but this one was to have no such luck.

At that moment, Aine, accompanied with some of the Heralds and other members of the Guard burst in, horrified at what they were now seeing.

Fenix had gone truly berserk, enraged beyond reason at what he had just witnessed. He picked up the sword with both of his hands and he gripped it so tightly the arteries and tendons on his arms stood out quite clearly. His eyes appeared feral as he prepared to administer his own brand of justice. The Bandit had no time to prepare, could only look up with a dumb expression on his pudgy face as Fenix brought the sharp blade down full upon his head with a mighty force, effectively splitting the Bandit's skull wide open.

Fenix was no longer aware of what was going on around him, the beast within had been unleashed and there was no stopping it now.

Everyone else stood watching, shocked beyond belief at what they were witnessing.

Even though Fenix had put an end to the Bandit's life already, he leapt upon the decimated Bandit like a black leopard and began stabbing him all over the place...not once, not twice, but many times...it seemed as if he was unable to stop himself. Fenix began to cry tears of rage and grief shouting, _"You Bastard!" _and still he stabbed him each time he shouted. He was truly gone now, crying and screaming like a madman. Fenix began to have hallucinations now too. It seemed to him as if he were somewhere else, he the Priest on an Altar of Sacrifice; yet at the same time he had a sensation of duality, he was watching himself from a distance. He gazed around in a daze. White feathers were swirling around him, endlessly, seemingly coming from no-where. Yet in the background he could see also a set of large, dark wings outspread...waiting, waiting for the full conversion to take place. Everyone watching only saw Fenix gazing at things they could not see as he continued. stabbing, stabbing, over and over again.

Everyone stood aghast, and very afraid. Jewellyn and the baby's mother were sobbing in the background. Fenix would not stop, even now.

Aine had enough...she stepped out and risked trying to stop Fenix, hoping to depend on her strength but knowing it would be her agility that would prevail. She jumped frantically on Fenix's back, shouting, "Stop! Stop! Fenix! Stopppp! He's dead! Stop!" She frantically tried to grab the arm Fenix was hacking away with but could not. Fenix was thrashing about wildly and it felt to Aine as if she were trying to tame a wild horse, but much worse than anything she ever tried to reign in before.

She made yet another desparate attempt to get him to stop. Mustering up all the force she could she attempted to grab Fenix's hand and pry it off the hilt of the sword. Aine was quite strong and felt capable of doing this, but she saw she wasn't having any effect at all. Of course, it was more difficult for her to do this because he_ still _continued his mindless vengeance upon the Bandit. He was gripping the hilt of the blade with such a demonic strength his fingers were drained of all color. With Fenix thrashing about and still stabbing like a madman, she felt a sudden surge of adrenaline and without thinking much about it, grabbed the blade of the sword with both hands and yanked it violently away. The blood-stained sword fell to the floor. Either Fenix had relaxed his grip on the sword enough or Aine's adrenaline charged strength did it. However, with a shocked expression on her face she saw that the inside of her left hand was lacerated down to the bone and bleeding quite profusely. The right hand wasn't quite as bad...She felt no pain whatsoever because of the shock and the adrenaline, but her face did turn white and she began to feel just a little faint. Despite all that Aine had done, Fenix was still out of control bringing the full force of his hands down upon the limp and bloody corpse of the Bandit minus the sword!

"Fenix! Stop! NOOWWW!" Aine began to cry herself, this was a nightmare, blood was everywhere. "STOPPPPP!" This was getting beyond desperate...she made a last ditch effort, not wanting to hurt him before, but this was getting way out of hand...to put it mildly. She pulled back and slapped him hard across the face with her less injured hand. This stunned him. He looked around, stupefied. He became dizzy, swooning as a result of all his maniacal efforts and fell towards the floor right into Aine's tired arms. Fenix then began to weep uncontrollably. Aine held on trying to comfort him somehow, despite the fact he and she were literally covered in blood. Aine became much weaker now and was breathing at a rapid pace. She saw Fenix's eyes and hoped she would never see them like that again. They weren't his own, it appeared; they were the blank eyes of a lost soul attempting to fight off inner demons he could not see...She held him for a while and she began to cry again, she wanted to do something now to help him but felt quite helpless. Then, someone handed her a rag which she quickly wrapped around her left hand. Everyone else was nearly frozen motionless by the apalling events which had just taken place.

_:Aine, are you alright: _Xirthan asked, quite panicked.

_:I'll be fine…don't worry about me. : _She didn't look fine, but she felt the last thing she needed was Xirthan's babying.

She motioned over to one of the other stunned Guards to bring Jewellyn over here. As a closer friend to Fenix, she could help in ways Aine could not.

Some of the other Guards, feeling a need to do something tried to clean up a little, then realized that perhaps this wasn't the right time, even with all the grisly remains and blood left behind. One of the Herald Guards told them that help would be there soon.

Looking much the worse for wear, Jewellyn came over and knew what to do. She began tracing her fingers over his face and body, in an attempt to drain away some of the physical pain and some of the emotional trauma. She didn't know if she could handle it this time, it was going to be tough. She concentrated, trying to retain her grip on life while she tried to save Fenix's own life.

The baby's mother began to cry deeper now, deeper than Aine had heard anyone cry before. It was the cry of a weeping spirit, not only that of the body. The woman managed to look up at Aine and cried out, "You should never have to bury your own children! Never! The way they treated my baby, as if...as if...she were trash..."

And that was it, Aine lost it and began to cry too. Everyone stood around in a daze, not knowing what to say or do for a while. The baby's mother began to cry even deeper now, if possible. It was the sound of permanent loss, of a broken spirit drifting aimlessly without anchor. It was the kind of crying you could only hear when a parent had lost their child, realizing the child would never be seen again.. It was the kind of the crying that echoed throughout the night on wings of despair, continuing until morning...

Jewellyn was showing the effects of her treatment of Fenix. He began to look better, but she looked worse. Aine and some of the others took notice.

It seemed to Fenix he was rising from a deep sleep at the bottom of the ocean. Slowly coming to...as the vision of the swirling white feathers continued. Yet there were still the dark wings outspread, waiting...waiting for the right time. Fenix began to become dimly aware of something terrible, something terrible he had done.

Aine knew Fenix was going to suffer for this one, unless he could be brought out of it somehow. Aine steeled herself. She knew now what it was she truly must fight for. She would fight for the sake of love, that life may go on, despite the evil efforts of the Bandits or anyone else. They would pay dearly with their blood. I will fight for Valdemar and the right for it's people to live free of fear! Aine slumped back, feeling much more lightheaded than before. She could still hear everyone's voices, but they seemed miles away.

_:Aine! You're really not--: _but that was all she heard. The last thing she knew was darkness.

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**Koromiel**: Wheee! Wasn't that fun! I loved this chapter. It was so much fun to plan out. It was even more fun though to see what Phoenix was gonna do with it. Hopefully it was worth the wait!

**Love to the Reviewers:**

Sean - dude, could you take up any more space? XD Leave the banter for chat, please! But we're glad you still like it.

Kathleen - I know what you mean about reading as fast as it could be written... I'm the editor and I still dance in my seat to get the new stuff Phoenix writes!

DeathIsOnStrike - Thank you so much! Phoenix gets a little worried sometimes about how he's stacking up in here, so you really made his day!

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Ah yes, and since I alredy have the next chapter all ready to go, I wanna see reviews from five different people this time before I post again! Mwa ha ha ha ha! lo ok sorry...I know I'm being evil, but I can't seem to get you people to review any other way...

Oh! And be sure to click on "website" on our user profile. Phoenix made a banner for us. squee!


	24. The Face of the Enemy

The Face of the Enemy

Soon, the time of Sun Descending would be upon Karse, and people in and about the surrounding countryside were preparing for this religious service. In the Throne of Vkandis in the capital of Sunhame, discussions about the subjugation of Valdemar were taking place as well as preparations for the evening's rituals. The Sunlord Vkandis' image as projected here made it's imposing appearance. Nyaren, one of the more experienced Sun-Priests, was listening to a report from Rath, his chief military advisor and strategist.

Rath, an elite member of the Sunsguard, well known everywhere because of it's notoriety in dealing with those who would try to stray from the One True path, appeared to be slightly nervous as he spoke. The SunsGuard is a unit of the Vengeance of the Sunlord, Karse's military. One of the Bandits had reluctantly accompanied Rath here as well. In an adjoining temple you could hear the Sun-Priests, the many Voices of Vkandis, chanting their litanies.

The Bandit did not like these religious rituals, all they knew was direct contact and force; the Bandits knew it almost instinctively and felt that they needed no spiritual guidance whatsoever. The whites of the Bandit's eyes, clearly revealed in his dirt smeared face, looked around apprehensively. Along the rough stone walls a few torches cast their flickering light, distorting and disturbing the shadows of the inhabitants and of the room's furniture.

"We have just come back from Knoll's Ridge, Nyaren"

Nyaren, in his fiery red robe, shifted his penetrating and all knowing gaze full upon Rath, noting the condition of Rath's gritty armor and of his red shield, then smiling smugly said, "And...".

"Knoll's Ridge is history. Of course the Valdemaran witches showed up along with some of their Soldiers as expected; their numbers have and are increasing there. The Bandits made a good show of things and could have 'won' the battle so to speak, but they...eventually retreated as ordered."

"Good, good, we didn't want to get their full attention quite yet, but I bet they're already devising some new witchery," intoned Nyaren with a slight hint of suppressed anger.

Nyaren remembered that incident quite clearly at White Foal's pass. Lavan Chitward, as he later learned the Valdemaran name, almost single-handedly destroyed about a little over a fourth of their military and had burnt much of their cover away with his fire breathing wizardry. They had to retreat in defeat, despite inflicting a good amount of damage themselves against the enemy. It took quite a while for them to regroup.

"So, the Bandits did as instructed...except for one thing.."

Hearing this, the Bandit stiffened a little, his shifty gaze darting about the room.

The image of the Vkandis SunLord stood impassively, yet he was keenly listening in on this interesting diatribe.

Nyaren raised one of his white eyebrows, then folded his bony hands together through the sleeves of his priestly robe. "_Do_ go on Rath," he said, now staring at the Bandit.

"They charged into one of the few remaining houses and they..." Even Rath shifted around here, feeling uncomfortable just talking about this, then continued, "They um murdered a baby in that house and then...gutted it."

Nyaren raised his other eyebrow now. "Tsk, tsk, against orders no less. Well when we hired the Bandits we knew full well what violent and in discriminatory methods they used, hmmm..." here he scratched his pointy chin then returned his all knowing gaze upon the Bandit again. "This could speed up things a bit, this will get the Valdemarans going if nothing else. I am surprised they have waited this long to have defended the Holderkin. So much for their feigned good heartedness. It seems our plan of small attacks and hit and run strategy have delayed them somewhat from taking drastic action. It might play into our hands yet."

Unfortunately for the the Bandit, he chose to smile at this point.

Nyaren appeared to be displeased. "You will come forth!" he bellowed

The Bandit jumped, then slowly came forward with downcast eyes. Rath had a good idea of about what was going to take place here. He withdrew slowly, trying to stay out of Nyaren's way.

"Kneel, miscreant!" thundered Nyaren. Then in a quieter, _almost _soothing voice he asked the Bandit, "Now...were you ordered in any way, shape, or form to stray from my orders?" Here Nyaren placed his bony hands upon the skull of the Bandit. "Well?

"Yes...I mean um no sir!"

Nyaren began the dreaded process called the 'fireprobe.'

The Bandit felt almost as if his skull was on fire, though it was not. He squirmed and moaned, then felt the 'burning' coursing down through his nerves. Then...it let up a bit.

"I am a little concerned because when you were hired the agreement was to follow orders. In exchange you would be supplied with weapons, food, and some coinage. Is it your desire to forfeit that then?"

The Bandit, still feeling agony, knew they didn't have much choice. They had been caught in a daring attempt to loot Karse, many Bandits had been killed or were captured. Then, this 'treaty' was made. For now at least the Bandits were at Karse's call and command. "No, no, sir we got carried away a l-little, surely you can u-understand.." The Bandit winced at the sudden increase of the burning sensation.

"I know of only one thing, miscreant. I like to keep it simple," he said quietly, yet there was no denying the ominous undertone in Nyaren's voice, "though this may still work out, I get a little annoyed when my orders aren't followed. Rath and I, along with the approval of Vkandis, work hard to develop our strategies. Any further disobedience of our orders will result in your termination," here he paused for dramatic effect, then resumed, "quite _literally,_ so I might add." The rest of you Bandits will then be sacrificed to appease the one and only true God." Nyaren gestured with a sweep of his arm towards the image of the Sunlord Vkandis. "Do I have your attention?"

The Bandit, groaning and sweating profusely felt even more of the burning pain. He slowly nodded.

"Then go about your business! Don't forget to inform your comrades about what has happened here. I would hate to see suffering like this take place on such a grand scale." He said sarcastically, then laughed.

Rath knew the strategy of slowly drawing in the Valdemarans was a good one if executed and timed well. He well knew what the Sun-Priests were capable of, yet at the same time the Valdemarans always seemed to prevail. Unlike most of the populace, Rath was let in on what went on here at the Throne of Vkandis. By and large, the populace knew nothing of such plans as Nyaren came up with; they viewed the priesthood and it's pantheon as beneficent. The people of Karse were convinced that it was the Valdemarans who were the evil ones. He felt, though wasn't told, that they were working on new...techniques to be employed by the Vengeance of the SunLord.

_Surely the Valdemarans will catch wind of this and develop their own counter-strategy, _he thought with an air of concern.

Regardless of thoughts about possible outcomes, throughout Karse and Valdemar there was an increasingly 'charged' atmosphere; a feeling perhaps, that apocalyptic events were soon to take place...

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from Phoenix: Koromiel and I truly appreciate everyone's interest in this story. This is our first attempt and reviews help help us to write better or change things. Thank you and I hope you enjoy the rest of it too!

from Koromiel: Wow...I know it's been awhile...I JUST got back from my trip to California not even 2 hours ago...see how much I love you guys? I'm taking time out of my sleep to post! hehe. Whee! I won another karaoke contest! Now if I could only get a recording contract...anyway! Time for...

REVIEWER LOVE!

It's so good to see new faces!

Kathleen - lol...it was written fast enough...I was just slow to posting it...sorry!

Cynthia1850- Welcome! We're glad you like it! So here it is! We'll get back to Fenix, Aine and Jewellyn soon enough! I had pushed for this chapter now before everything else.

Sean - Well, once you're a bonafide bandit, you can educate us on their speech patterns...lol. Just messin with ya! Would you let it go with a "do better" slip? Huh? What? Oh...Phoenix says he fixed it...guess I should go look at it...

Ok so with that, we could use more reviews! The next section should be posted within the week...unless reviews aren't submitted :hint hint:


	25. A Nightmare: Aine's Awakening

A Nightmare: Aine's Awakening

_**Is all that we see or seem but a dream within a dream? Edgar Allan Poe**_

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_There was a sense of an intense and violent struggle. Somehow, the beast had to be reigned in; now! Spheres of blood appeared to be floating in the air. Also, there was the unmistakable scent of burning wood and flesh mixed together in the air. A rose was swirling nearby, as if in slow motion, then landed on the ground gently near a woman she could not recognize. This woman picked up the rose, hoping to inhale and savor it's sweet scent. As the woman did so, the rose turned to ashes and crumbled to the ground, then it was blown away by a gust of hot wind, and this woman began to cry; the sound of the sighing wind and her cry mingling, instilled a strong sense of melancholia within her as she watched this scene. There was this odd sense of displacement she felt, almost as if she were watching a play where this other woman was the actor. There was a brilliant flash of lightning then the viewpoint seemed to shift._

Could it be this unknown woman was only me after all? _Whereas before she was watching, now everything melded together as one; this was happening to her, or was it? The sense of an out of the body experience continued. She was not herself, as a result she became quite scared along with an increasing anxiety. Something... _

_Something awful had happened...that much was clear, yet everything else came to her as a collage of broken imagery. War is truly a bloody business, totally unlike all the legends and fantasies told to her by the Bards of Valdemar...Valdemar...now that sounded familiar, but how? Exactly what did those thoughts really mean?_

_She also felt she should have a, a special friend along , someone who would help her no matter what. yet it was only a distant memory which came and went, then faded altogether. _

All at once, she felt that odd, inner stirring again but it was more stronger now, and coupled with a stronger sense of losing her identity.

The whole world suddenly dropped beneath her, she was falling so fast she had to---

There was the sound of thunder, the sound of rain; and An abrupt halt to her falling. Now-

_'I am crying, why? Something seems quite elusive to me, always out of reach...It crumbles whenever I try to grab it. I can sense someone hurting very badly, someone is undergoing intense physical and emotional pain. I must help...him? I am so worn out and exhausted yet I must--'_

_She felt compelled to look in the mirror (oddly enough there appeared to be no surrounding room, only mist) and she did not recognize who she was!_

'Who is this now, someone I should really know?'

_Even with the quirky way of dreams, the illogical sequence of events, and the time distortion, she manage to hang onto one thing; wanting to know who this was. And why, why was this happening. _

_Still, she felt someone was hurting very badly and she had to help and now!_

The sound of shattering glass, the scream of broken souls. _She covered her ears, she felt she could not stand it much longer!_

_Silence...a silence worse than silence. Not even the essence of death was this silent. _

_And then, there He was! She should know him, but couldn't focus in on him. One thing was obviously clear, this man's body and soul were literally and figuratively wounded to the core. She began to feel his pain and it hurt deeply. She-_

Something temporarily was coming into a clearer focus. I know who I am I'm--

The focus and the sense of cognizance she just felt faded away into the mists. Yet something was still happening, an inner stirring, a warring of identities; she felt almost as if she were undergoing some kind of transformation...the sense of self came and went, came and went...

_The man she had seen lay on the ground, was now lying curled into a fetal position._

'_I love this man...' She bent down to kiss him and she could feel his hurt even more intently now. She must help now!_

Again a brief moment of clarity, 'Why oh why did I hurt him! I only made matters worse! He's dying now I just know it and it's my fault!' I slapped him so hard! Her crying came unforced, there was no holding back now. 'He's going to dieee!...'

Aine bolted upright into a sitting position from her bed. "NO! STOP! IT WONT HAPPEN IT CAN'T HAPPEN!" Her scream was so loud and shrill, surely it had woken someone up. She was cold with sweat, but she felt chilled to the very core. The silvery light from the full moon was pouring in through her open window, casting eerie elongated shadows from the objects in her room. A slight cool breeze was coming in too. The breeze refreshed Aine and she came to a little more now, yet she still had that sense of dream within her...and the confusion that went along with it.

There was this awful nightmare. _Where am I? First it felt as if I were watching something then all of the sudden it was all happening to me. _She looked at her wounded and bandaged left hand. _Oh yeah...there was that awful scene at Knoll's Ridge. At least I took out some of those Bandits, _she thought with a grim sense of satisfaction. She knew enough to know this wasn't her room as the white walls were replaced with a pastel green. Gradually, it dawned on her she was probably in one of the convalescent rooms of the Healer's Wing at he Collegium.

Normally quite composed, she felt shaken and shocked to the core of her very being; she still didn't quite know who she was. She drew her right arm up and was going to wipe her hair back from her sweaty forehead. _What in the name of Vademar? _She thought, as she looked at her right hand..._That doesn't look like my hand!_

_It was the dream I- could it have been from my dream? It was shaped differently...The fingers seemed to be slightly longer and she saw her skin wrinkling and smoothing almost as if it had a life of its' own and seeing this made her feel a little sick. She looked at her left hand and it was wrapped with something and she could see blood stains on her skin above and below the bandage. She looked at the bandage and it too was wriggling as if it had a life of its' own. Aghast, she quickly put her hands under the covers...She vaguely recalled that ominous nightmare. In it, she was trying to stop someone. Not only that but she was becoming someone else as well, so it had seemed. Sweating more now, she thought, I have to be hallucinating, this can't be, it was all the stress--it all happened within my dream right? She looked around aimlessly as if she were trying to figure out what to do...She tried to summon up the strength to try and do something about it. She looked at her arms, they seemed to be getting a little better, the coruscating skin seemed to her to be ceasing it's own self animation. _

She stood up. _I have to look in the mirror I just have to but I can't. I'm afraid of what I might see there..._

Boldly, she walked slowly up to the mirror and looked. The look on her face was an instant one of fear and shock Her short blonde hair was slightly longer and parts of it were brown, but the brown seemed to be fading as she watched. Her face had changed, it appeared more soft, a bit more delicate then it was before! Her eyes seemed to be almost green for a moment, then changed gradually back to blue. She had a brief, startling thought that she looked like-

She didn't get to finish her thought. _:Are you alright, Love? What happened:_ She could feel Xirthan's shivering as much as her own. But before she could answer with her own mindspeak, there was a loud knock at her door. She jumped and her heart skipped a beat or two. _Should I open it? Perhaps if I stall a little, make a little noise like I'm cleaning up and getting dressed..._She figured it had to be one of the Healers wanting to check up on her. Another knock, more insistent this time.

"Hold on I'm coming!" she tried to yell, but it came out more weak because her voice was wavering caused by the strong anxiety she was feeling. She quickly looked in the mirror and breathed a little sigh of relief. _It should be ok now, _she hoped. She threw on a shawl and walked apprehensively towards the door. She opened it and was more than a little surprised when she saw who the knocker was...

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**Koromiel:** And yet again, another chapter finished. And the best thing is…I didn't have to do a thing to it other than spell check it! Ok…so I made Phoenix rewrite it from what it was originally, but that was because we were solidifying specific things with the story. Mwa ha ha ha ha! I know what's gonna happen and you don't! ahem ok. I've got that out of my system. But I must say…more drama is on it's way. Phoenix also posted a short. So go check it out and give him a review. I had nothing to do with it, so it's all him. And now it's time for more…

**REVIEWER LOVE! **

erm...

Sean - glad you still like it, though I say you're biased. P hehe

**Koromiel:** Ok...again, I'm not posting until we get more reviews...yes we're review whores. XD We need to know we're doing ok. Ah yes! And whoever guesses who aine changed into gets a cookie and the next chapter dedicated to them! And it'll be a good one too! So how's _that_ for an incentive! hehe


	26. Intentions Made Clear?

**Chapter 26: A Visitor...Intentions Made Clear?**

Aine, with much trepidation, ignoring the pain in her hands, opened the door. It was Jewellyn!

"Hi Aine, " she tried to make her greeting sound as upbeat as possible. Jewellyn saw how wide eyed she was and how stressed out she seemed to be. She had to stifle a laugh. "Are you that shocked to see little old _me_?" She tried to make that sound humorous but it didn't quite come out that way, much to her consternation. _Had a little note of sarcasm crept in on my voice there?_

Under these circumstances, and being that Aine and Jewellyn knew each other, the head of the Healer's hall had allowed her to visit Aine unaccompanied.

Aine knew she appeared unkempt and was _still _sweating from that strange ordeal. _It _had _to have been a nightmare, had to be, _she thought bewilderingly. "Um n-no," she faltered. "Uh, come on in, yes of course. I mean yes, I do feel a little better."

Jewellyn stepped in, noting that Aine's normally, almost platinum blonde hair was all sweaty and matted down. Her normally steel blue eyes had lost some of their self assuredness. As Jewellyn noticed this, she found herself thinking about her own appearance. She caught a glimpse of herself in the siverplate mirror as she went to sit down on one of the chairs._ I think I look very nice, _she thought, noting her lengthy and curly brown hair as it swept nicely around her shoulders. _And my eyes...I never noticed they were quite _that _green before..." _Now she felt a little guilty, not quite knowing why she was thinking that way. "Are you alright?" she finally asked Aine with a sincere tone in her voice. _Now that came out alright, _she thought, breathing a little more easily now.

"Er--yes, the Healers came in this morning and told me to just rest for awhile," Aine looked around with a curious look in her eyes, as if she was greatly puzzled. "So I did, but...I had this awful nightmare...I thought I was-" here she burst out laughing while looking at Jewellyn with an amused yet odd glance. Then the puzzled look resumed and she appeared as if she were trying to probe her own inner thoughts. "The problem is, it seemed so _real_," she said still laughing a little. She scratched her head, "I really thought I was someone else! And it scared me so much I thought I was going to have a heart attack." She shot another odd glance at Jewellyn, not quite meeting her eyes though.

Puzzled herself, Jewellyn stated, "Well, no doubt it was all due to the stress of that episode at Knoll's Ridge." She felt and thought she looked a little uncomfortable as she stood up, dusting herself off as if that would somehow make it less notable. "You are well taken care of here, in fact, you look much better," she tried to sound sincere and hoped it came across to Aine that way. "In the next day or two there will be a ceremony, formally inducting as us Herald Trainees along with some others. I hope you will come. I think you will be well enough then."

"Always the optimist, Jewellyn," she laughed.

Now, Jewellyn thought that maybe perhaps there was just a little hint of sarcasm in _Aine's _voice.

"Oh! Of course…," Aine continued. "I'm anxious to resume training too, I miss the salle--by the way, how is Fenix? I heard a little, but only that he's still alive."

Ske knew it would come to him,_ Fenix_. She tried to remind herself she was thinking childishly. _What is with me and all these challenging emotions? _It was a perfectly natural question for Aine to ask. Still...

Jewellyn walked towards the door. "He is...fine. He's coming around with my help and some of the Healers have been helping too."

"_Your_ help? You aren't already enrolled in classes yet are you?"

"No, but I have certain skills..." Here she opened the door, tossed her hair back and said, "Please, take care of yourself ok? Get some rest." One of the Healers approached the door from the hallway. Jewellyn nodded to the Healer and he went in with a tray of herbs. Jewellyn smiled and waved back at Aine, "I'll see you later." She turned to walk out the door.

Aine was tempted to say something like, _"Oh yes I have seen those skills in action, you are quite the soother aren't you?" _She bit her tongue as the door closed. Aine, of course, noticed how handsome this Healer was and thusly flashed one of her most beguiling grins at him. He was there to check the wound, which had healed a little, but not much.

_:Well, this is an interesting turn of events:_

Aine, still stressed out at her seeming transformation, felt more than bewildered. She jumped a little at Xirthan's mindspeech to her. Xirthan was out at Companion's Field munching on some hay.

Aine felt a 'sigh' come from Xirthan. _:Really, there must be better grades of hay about, this tastes like mildew. I _never_ thought it would come to this:_

Though slightly amused, Aine chose to ignore the hay comment for now. _:Interesting is an understatement, Xirthan. I'm not really sure what happened here. Am I going crazy:_

_:Not yet my Love...give it time.:_

This made Aine slightly angry. _:Reaaalllyy Xirthan, you are a master of tact, I'm _serious_ here:_

Xirthan flashed a grin, as it were, in Aine's direction. _:I am too, Chosen. Yet, I think what happened to you was real. I felt a strange inner turmoil coming from you:_

_:Oh yeah I know about that, when I looked into the mirror I appeared to be someone else. Or rather changing back to myself from being that someone else, I looked like Jewellyn, I swear.:_

_:I think this all will be quite interesting from now on...just remember Chosen, I am with you always:_

_:Ha! hopefully you will have more wisdom for me than what you displayed today.:_

Xirthan smiled inwardly at Aine's comment, and then spit the rest of the hay out on the ground. He made a mental note to himself to tell the other Companions that if this vile substitute for choice Valdemaran hay were to continue to be fed to them, then it would be time to consider mounting a strike against the Heraldry.

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Notes from the Authors:

Koromiel: Huzzah! Part one of this section is completed! I wish this stupid thing wouldn't erase question marks! >. Ah well...I have the next section ready...just gotta get some reviews before I can post it! Neener neener neener! XD And in response to Cynthia:D Yes, we like being evilreview whoresand making cliffhangers! Actually that review made mine and Phoenix's day. So we're glad you are enjoying it.

Ok...Phoenix is making me post this...

Phoenix: To anyone who has read and enjoyed this story, you must really know the driving force behind it. She is now incarnate in the form as Koromiel, who I consider to be a cherished friend and a major inspiration. Without her editing, without her ideas, without her quest for a good story, there would have been only a blank page...and to me that is almost the same as that empty feeling inside you get when you are without love; and we all need a few less blank pages in our lives right? So thank you Koromiel, this story is yours and I mean it sincerely when I say that without your help, even this page I'm typing on now would be blank, it would never have existed without your most pleasant inspiration and without your most welcome presence. Thank you!


	27. Being Chosen is Only the Beginning

**Chapter 27: Being Chosen is Only the Beginning**

Her name, it had a very enchanting ring to it...Mayei.

_:I see you've remembered Chosen:_

Mayei was currently out at the Companion's Field, yet Jewellyn 'heard' Mayei quite clearly, and felt the warm emotional glow that came along with her mindspeak. It startled her as much as it did the first time when the white mare, with it's luminous blue eyes, had approached her.

She remembered quite clearly the whole event. The Herald Guards were returning from the horrors at Knoll's Ridge._ I was walking along beside Fenix's Companion, unbeknownst to me at the time, _she thought clearly, marveling at the memory of this. This white mare had on the silver and royal blue tack which Companions wore during times of battle or afterwards. She was also carrying the unconscious Fenix and one of the Herald Guards to help keep him upright in the saddle. _I was exhausted and thinking about the way Fenix had turned 'berserk'. I had felt like I couldn't walk much longer, I began to cry profusely..._she remembered, and then out of nowhere seemingly:

_:Jewellyn love, you have become my Chosen:_

Quite startled she had looked up and had seen this magnificent, spectral, snow white mare, standing there like an image out of a dream. She felt a deep inner warmth as she stared into what she later learned were Mayei's lucent blue eyes. Then, she 'heard' it in her mind again:

_:I know I have Chosen well. Please don't be afraid. I am mindspeaking to you:_

She remembered feeling entranced, almost mesmerized as those words entered her mind. She had tried her own little response _:Thank you...: _And then as an afterthought, _:I think.:_

She felt it inside, rather than heard it; a quiet, bubbling laughter from more than one source; it was almost as if some of the other members of the entourage had 'heard' this too. One of them was her Companion of course...but who were the others? To Jewellyn it looked as if Mayei winked and then nodded her head towards what appeared to her to be another Companion. The one that was carrying Fenix...

Such were Jewellyn's remembrances of when they returned to Haven back on that auspicious evening. Now, she walked along back to the Healer's Hall from her noontime meal at the Common Hall.

This concept of 'Choosing' was all very new to Jewellyn. Of course she had heard a little about it from the Bard's tales as they told their ballads of wonder about the Heroes of Valdemar. She smiled as she thought about one Bard in particular, Ulwyn Fyyscher, who sometimes told humorous stories as well. If anyone could be said to exude the joy in life, it was him. It came off of him like an aura, and thinking about it now, she realized that perhaps that was the beginning development of her Empath skills. She remembered she could feel this aura, and of how it felt like a wave coming off of him.

Jewellyn was walking back to Fenix's room at the Healer's Hall to further assist with his recovery after that mess at Knoll's Ridge. "So very strange," she said to herself as other Healer-Trainees walked by with their distinctive green uniforms, "Aine had looked very shocked and wide eyed when I opened the door to her room." In fact, she laughed out loud now thinking about Aine's large round blue eyes as they nearly doubled their size when she opened the door. She smiled again thinking of this and as Jewellyn walked along, she turned her gaze all the way down, staring at the patterns on the rock which formed the floor in the hallway. Not many had returned from the noon-time meal yet.

Jewellyn had her Empath skills toned down to the bare minimum when she went to see Aine in her room. Actually, she really wanted to turn it on fully for her own reasons, but Jewellyn was afraid of what might happen; she only had a little control of it so far. It was obvious Aine had been still stressed out a little from that episode at Knoll's Ridge. She seemed to have been feeling better and recovering faster despite her appearance at that time. Of course, Jewellyn wanted to save everything for Fenix.

Thinking about that visit she suddenly felt a little inner 'pang,' ; a feeling of inferiority whenever she thought about Aine. _Of course, Aine hasn't known Fenix as long as I have, _she thought, as if trying to convince herself of something. Yet whenever Aine showed up she could see it in Fenix's eyes; they literally 'lit up' upon seeing her. He became a little more animated…and it made her furious that she couldn't achieve the same reaction from him.

"I don't know," she sighed, "It really seems like I love him," she told herself, now pausing with her walk. _I wonder if he feels the same way about me. I can sense it when he's around, certainly there's a strong sense of love for someone, _thinking to herself now, _I wish I could figure out exactly for who though. _Looking out the window, she watched a butterfly as it homed in on a flower for a tase of nectar. She had learned a lot more about him when they were at the orphanage and then with the events during and shortly after that...She shook her head and smiled, "One thing I'll always remember is that tree climbing episode," she said to herself. _Certainly, he was a tough one as far as the revelation of his personality went_, she thought with a little sense of wonder. _When we had first met, he seemed rather droll and his bookish manner of speaking was more than a little off-putting. He was one of those proverbial book-worms, content to do nothing but read, even if the sky were to _really_ fall over his head._ _He seemed to be content unto himself with no other association with people needed. So he thought_. She laughed again at her thoughts.

_Although that certainly changed when Fenix felt compelled to climb that lofty tree,_ she mused._ Of course, when that creep Simon Dewwart showed up, he needed people even more._ Jewellyn remembered vividly about that whole event and when she thought about what Simon was trying to do to her back then, she felt more than just a little disgusted._ Thank the Gods Aine had shown up then, _she found herself thinking, despite how she felt now. She liked Aine of course but thought that maybe she was a little too good to be true. _Ah, my low self esteem showing there yes? Am I that selfish that I can't really feel a little better about Aine? By the Gods, has almost a little over a whole year passed since then already? A lot has happened since then. A lot,_ she mused.

As she approached Fenix's door, where a Healer was standing nearby, she braced herself a little. Jewellyn wanted to help Fenix of course, but even more she wanted to _make_ him love her. Now was the time, before _Aine_ stepped in again. Before she opened the door she took in a deep breath. She was determined to put on her best face.

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Koromiel: hehehe. I love this part. Jewellyn--er... Jealousy rears it's ugly head. XD I had decided to be nice and post this part. But we're still in the proces of planning and writing the next chapter...so feel free to fill the gap with reviews.


	28. The Web Continues to Weave

**The Web Continues to Weave...**

There was all that blood they had to wash off of Fenix...Jewellyn shuddered at the memory of it. Of course Aine had all that blood on her too. There also was a lot offered in the way of explanation of the events at Knoll's Ridge. King Theran wanted to know exactly what had happened. Jevan Piers and Rowland had interviewed Jewellyn upon their return. They took it all in with a grain of salt, this despite the loss of a few troops. The heavy emotions would come later when they were alone. They became a bit astonished however when told about what had happened with Fenix there, and that it involved Aine too.

Very soon classes would let out at the Collegium. It was a few candlemarks after the noon meal. Jewellyn knew she had some time but not much to make her impression upon Fenix...

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Fenix was finally coming to in his room at the Healer's wing of the Collegium. He still was recuperating on one of those Healer's beds, which appeared to be more like a cot; though patient comfort was a priority, you wouldn't see evidence of it with _these_ beds.

It was only a day after being brought back from Knoll's Ridge. He became slowly aware of a returning consciousness. It seemed to him he was emerging from a dark whirlpool of some awful nightmare, a nightmare in which he took part in. Then, a little light coming into view...then the face of a woman. He wasn't quite aware of who it was yet, only that it was a pleasant, comforting face surrounded with soft curly hair. She came in and out of focus and it seemed like she had some kind of a golden aura around her. _That has to be a trick of the light...by the Gods I'm stiff and sore, _he thought, marveling at this odd mix of feelings. Much to Jewellyn's pleasant surpise Fenix began to laugh. Fenix gazed around, noting the furnishings in this rooom. _This has to be an infirmary...I've gone mad! _He laughed some more.

The drab furnishings appeared to him to indicate such a place. He looked around again, temporarily ignoring Jewellyn, of whom he hadn't seemed to recognize as of yet. He noted the walls were a pale pastel green, there were the barred windows, the bare furniture, the tray of herbs and their corresponding censers, water urns, and yes there was a water closet here of course...covered with curtains instead of a door. Only in infirmaries did they have curtains instead of doors. Fenix assumed a puzzled expression as he noted this. _I wonder why thaat is? _he asked himself. Fenix couldn't help it, he laughed some more.

Jewellyn caressed Fenix's face and hair, making sure to be very gentle yet stimulating then kissed him on the forehead, smiled, then asked, "Fenix, do you know _who_ I am?"

At the same time, out of no-where Fenix 'heard' an internal voice _:You don't know me as of yet, I am Aerali and I have Chosen you:_ Aerali had hoped this mindspeech would stir up Fenix a little. Aerali and Mayei were out in Companion's field with many of the other Companions. Tomorrow would be the new Trainee's induction ceremony and they wanted to be well rested.

"You are A-er-er-ali, Aerali, is that right?" He looked around but didn't really seem to be seeing anything.

Jewellyn became puzzled, she began to hope that he hadn't permanently damaged his mental faculties. "No silly," she replied. "I am Jewellyn."

"Who? jewel _who_?"

Now both Fenix and Jewellyn felt inside a pleasant 'bubbling up' within their souls, it was coming from the Companions and it was their way of laughing.

It still startled Jewellyn when Mayei mindspoke to her, _:You haven't officially met yet, Chosen. That was Aerali, Fenix's Companion. After you helped Fenix recover somewhat, Aerali had decided this was the time to Choose him. It was Aerali who carried him all the way home.:_

_:Thank you Mayei I was beginning to think Fenix had gone daft on us.:_

"Yes, I do remember that," she said outloud. That had been a draining experience. Jewellyn had wanted to 'cure' him completely, but could not. Between the lack of stamina and the lack of experience she had using her skill so far, she just couldn't help him as much as she wanted to. He had to ride his way back on Aerali. Even now, she hadn't quite totally recovered yet.

Aerali was trying some of the new hay, _:Unfortunately Fenix, you are not out of the woods yet. You need a little more rest. Then, the excitement begins.:_

"I don't recall going into any woods," Fenix said to no-one in particular, looking puzzled.

Jewellyn sighed and rolled her eyes. "Maybe he has become daft..."

A memory came to him unbidden. _Oh yeah, that reminds me of one big TREE in particular...stupid tree got me into nothing but trouble._ That thought had prompted another memory, "Say, anyone know where Aine is?"

_:I think we will leave you two be for awhile now. Aerali and I will continue to check out the new hay here, courtesy of Xirthan's efforts. Good luck:_ Of course, they knew some of what Jewellyn had felt for Fenix and they felt deference would be the best way to go for now. To leave them be.

Jewellyn felt almost as if she had been punched a little in the stomach. She stood up abruptly, placing her hands on her hips and exclaimed by way of a query, "Fenix! Do you know who _I_ am?"

Fenix looked serious as he was concentrating, "Hmm, I know you are not...how do you say it again, er Air--ali?"

Jewellyn had to fight back a sudden urge to slap him a good one. _Oh yes, he knew of Aine, and oh yes, he hadn't even mentioned or recognized me yet,_ she thought, feeling somewhat bitter. She looked deep into those dreamy brown eyes. She wanted to grab his shoulders and shake him senseless, instead she caressed him. She wanted to 'meld' with Fenix as it were, to tune in to his most secret thoughts and desires. She had felt these inner stirrings, these feelings of love for someone, even back when they were at Aunt Tildy's orphanage. They had been friends since then, and she became more enamored with him as time went on. This puzzled Jewellyn at times, but she had read a couple of his poems and they were dreamy and elegant, so that was part of the attraction. She also couldn't help but to be quite fond of his cute clumsiness at times. He could be so incredibly funny; and most of it at times seemed unintentional, making it even funnier. Those were quite the times with that tree business, she thought. She had laughed often at some of those memories...

She wanted to know who those feelings were about...and _now. _No more waiting. And no mind magic either she decided...or little of it at best. She was going to _make love _to him. She had very little experience with this, but had once seen her parents doing something in their room when she was a kid. She sometimes spied on them through the slight crack in their bedroom. It was enough to see what they were doing. She sometimes would do this to see if they were asleep so she could sneak outside and go for a walk at night, all on her own. One time, as she had watched wide-eyed, they appeared to her to be wrestling...but they didn't have any clothes on! The memory of this made her smile a little now, but back then it was rather shocking to her. She had learned a little later that this was called _making love_, as some of her other friends had told her during one of their secret meetings in the woods. Sometimes back there in one of their secret enclaves, they would even kiss some of the boys on a dare. After one of those times she had dared to kiss a boy, she had wondered what all the fuss was about. Just before she had turned thirteen though, she kissed this boy she hardly knew...and it felt very nice...

Fenix still lie there, with his eyes closed now; still appearing to be in his own little world, not knowing who she was. He was still slipping in and out of consciousness.

She now felt determined to change that. She sat on the edge of the bed, bent down and then gently cradled Fenix's head. She closed her eyes and began to kiss him, already feeling a little warm and pleasant wave of emotion within her as she did so. She kissed slowly at first, then got up on her knees a bit more to get a better angle. This feels really good, she thought excitedly. She felt warm and a little charged up and as she kissed him more deeply, she began to feel odd yet pleasant stirrings and waves of soothing sensations coursing through her in places she usually did not associate with much pleasure. Sure, she had experimented a little now and then...but it was nothing like this. And Fenix began to respond a little, finally.

Fenix felt the first warm and moist kiss upon his lips and immediately felt waves of relaxation taking over his body. He reveled in the soft, warm presence of her. As she continued to kiss him, even more deeply now, he embraced her and began to return the kisses. He caressed her back and felt the warm press of her breasts full upon him now as they both got closer and closer to each other. Fenix too, began to feel pleasant stirrings and tinglings in places not (to him) normally susceptible to that...that feeling. One of the few times he had dared to experiment with himself felt something like this, but this felt much better. _There was only that one other time I had felt a little something like that, with Aine, was it? _he found himself remembering,_ that time when she had fallen upon me..._

Jewellyn whispered softly in his ear, "Fenix, I love you."

_The memory yes...it was..._"Aine!"he said outloud.

Jewellyn gasped, became wide eyed with shock and disbelief. She stopped andbecame rigid.

Immediately, Fenix opened his eyes; alertness was quickly returning to him. "Jewellyn!" he exclaimed. He became more wide eyed than Jewellyn.

Jewellyn didn't look very happy. "Yes it's me, stupid! Is that all you can think about is Aine!" she was practically screaming now. And then she did it, this time she did slap him...hard. Jewellyn began to cry and then she stormed out of the room heedless of who may or may not have heard or who might have seen.

Stunned, Fenix could only yell, "Jewellyn! Wait!"

She never came back the rest of that day.

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Koromiel: Dun dun dun! How's that for another cliffhanger? Mwa ha ha ha! Yes...bring on the reviews and remind us of what 'evil review whores' we are! XD

But I do apologize in the tardiness of this chapter. I was out and about in California. Much fun. I know Phoenix has been up to his writing shenannigans...so I'm the one who is behind. So as soon as I'm done editing, I'll be posting! That is, if we can get some good reviews. lol, just kiddin'. I suppose if you really like it, you'll comment on it. I won't push for it anymore. Well, maybe I won't start pushing until we get to the dramatic parts around the end...lol. I'd _have_ to do it then! So with that, I am off to edit another chapter!


	29. The Other Side of the Coin

**There's Always the Other Side of the Coin**

The weather over Haven was spectacular in this late Autumn season. There was very little humidity, and as a result, the skies couldn't be any more blue. Everything in sight, even faraway trees, were seen with a crystal clarity only common to this time of year. The mid-day sun served to accent all the various shades of greens and blues, thus heightening the impact on the visual senses. True, there was a slight chill in the air hinting of the coming Winter. The winds picked up too, growing more frequent and becoming more breezy; the wind swirled, picking up leaves and scattering them about. It seemed as if the wind were intent on cleaning up the landscape in preparation for the first, pristine snowfall of the year.

_It promises to be an interesting day, _Rowland thought. He was on his way to the Palace, where again another meeting of the Heraldic Council was going to take place. The casual observer wouldn't have noticed it but the activity was actually split in two phases. _We have the induction of the new trainees soon and the ceremony thereof; and now this seemingly more urgent decree from King Theran, _Rowland thought as he scratched his pepper-colored beard. "No doubt due to those damn Karsites," he muttered under his breath as he walked along.

Activity was everywhere. Trainees were walking in and out of the elegant yet functional white building of the Collegium. The loud and reverberant ring of the bell in the tower had rung again, signifying a change of classes. Some were at the benches in the surrounding ornate gardens, conversing about the classes and about the high and low points of their friends and classmates. Yet there was still this undercurrent of urgency and could be seen, if one were to look close enough, officials from the Heraldic Circle with worried faces heading towards the palace.

Rowland continued to walk along in his Herald Whites, musing and pondering. He had a question in mind, perhaps which there is no answer of yet_. Ah...here comes Jevan Piers_, thought Rowland, and then out loud to himself, "Perhaps he has heard something I have not." Jevan Piers in his whites came walking from the opposite direction on the cobblestone path. Jevan was balding yet he had a very imposing presence. Somehow, the way his eyebrows arched over his eyes then met downward just above his nose gave the impression that this was a _serious_ man. Yet there were times when they looked almost ludicrous, such as when he was the butt of a joke. Then his eyebrows arched upward, causing many ripples to appear on the skin of his slightly reddened forehead. The way they rose and fell, alternating between surprise and dismay, was quite something to see.

Grinning widely, Jevan Piers extended his hand in greeting as he met Rowland. They always squeezed each others hand as hard as they could to see who would relent first. Though this was sometimes painful of course, neither of them dared show it on their face. Today, it seemed Rowland had the stronger grip.

"Okay, okay, Mighty Sir Rowland, enough, " he said as he laughed. "What praytell is the news of the day?"

"Hmmm, I was going to ask_ you _that. You don't know?"

Jevan shook his head, causing the reflection of the bright sunlight on his head to dart back and forth across his shiny dome. "It does seem there is an unusual sense of urgency around here."

Rowland, though he may not have really needed to, and he did this almost semi-consciously, shielded his eyes. "My thought exactly. Well, all we can do is go to the Council Meeting and find out."

With an air of slight anxiety they both felt and shared, they headed in that direction...

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Koromiel: Lol...I can feel the eyes burning into me...I know. I know this isn't what you wanted to see after the whole Fenix/Jewellyn thing. That's the _next_ chapter though. So you don't have to wait long. And as always, much love to the ppl who submit reviews! We love you guys! Hopefully the story will become more popular after it's finished. I wonder how long that's gonna take...I know this chapter was short, but the next one will be a kick in the pants! XD

Until next time!


	30. Rising to the Surface

**Rising to the Surface**

"I was worried about you Fenix. I was stressed a little and yes...I reacted a little out of proportion," Jewellyn tried to explain in answer to Fenix's query.

They were both on their way to the Companion's Stables. Tomorrow would be the Induction Ceremony; therefore the Companions and their Chosen needed to be ready soon. There would be grooming, and preparations for the ceremonial tacks had to be done. Orientation at the Collegium would be taking place too later that day. So much to do and get ready for.

"A little out of proportion?... So if I mention Aine again, you won't run away?"

Jewellyn had to smile at this. They both paused their walking for now. "Well you just did mention her silly. No need to worry Fenix, I am not so worried about all that right now." She found the less she thought or worried about Aine the better. She also was partially resigned to the fact that she would get Fenix's interest more than Aine ever could...eventually. _I just need to be patient, _she reminded herself.

"So I can talk a little more freely now?" he asked, meeting her gaze.

"Of course," Jewellyn said brightly. "Let's sit here on on of these benches, no-one seems to be around right now and we have a little time." Jewellyn sat down beckoning Fenix to do the same.

Fenix took in a deep breath as he sat down. "I never before in my life thought I was capable of killing anyone," he said, still feeling a bitter remorse over the whole thing, "My memories of it all come and go, but I do remember enough. It was brutal, violent..after I had seen what that bandit had done, I lost it. I went totally berserk."

"I felt that rage within you Fenix...it was dark and shadowy, but quite strong. I didn't think I could handle it and the visions you saw...I saw them too." said Jewellyn as she shuddered. "I tried to absorb as much of your pain as I could." Here she reached for Fenix's hand.

"That was always one thing I was very afraid of...that explosive anger," Fenix mused outloud. "What I did to Aine..."

_:Take comfort in me, Chosen. I will help you through this because I love you.:_

Fenix 'heard' the mindspeak from Aerali but it didn't seem to register. His eyes weren't so much looking at anything external as they were searching somewhere inside his soul for an anchor, somewhere to settle down and forget about all this. Thinking and talking about this caused memories of bad things to surface unbidden; terrible things that had happened to him when he was a child. The memories of the verbal and physical abuse he suffered back then rose up in his mind like a bitter bile from his stomach. _Memories can be cruel, popping up when you least expect them...there was that time when I-_

**"I told you to shut up! If you would have done _what_ I told you _when_ I told you this wouldn't have happened!" _I remember the veins stood out on Father's forehead, looking almost as if they could burst any moment. He yelled so loud I could feel it physically within me. _"When is all that going to sink into your puny little head! How many times do I have to tell you!"**

**BAM! _A heavy fist slammed the table, silverware clattered to the floor. The smell of Mead was everywhere and it was coming from Father, whenever he would shout.. _**

_**Mom ran into the bedroom sobbing. I was terrified, reduced to a base, emotional wreck I-**_

"I don't want to think about it...never again!" Fenix exclaimed. Fenix's face was losing it's composure quickly. "No-

**"NO! You won't forget about this, EVER! If I have to beat it into you I will, by the Gods! Come here now and taste justice!" _The look in Dad's eyes when he became enraged was...well it wasn't human. _Fenix shivered. Dad's justice was a _most_ bitter tonic to swallow. "Come here I said, Fenix!"-**

"Fenix! Are you ok? Fenix!" Jewellyn asked anxiously. She began to tune in on Fenix's anguish. _This is getting out of hand, _she thought. S_ome people are starting to look at us; I have to help him somehow I-_

**_I remember Dad's funeral. I remember him lying there, and his face; his face had never looked that serene in life, but in death it sure looked at peace, why dad why! I remember that awful nightmare afterwards too, when all the sudden Dad's face took on a hideous grimace, and his eyes were ablaze, (but he was dead yes he was dead sure he was). _"Come here now! and taste my justice, else I'll beat it into you yet!" _His dad sat up and he-_**

He was sweating from head to toe and he felt clammy. Fenix moaned a little then passed out. Jewellyn quickly began to work on alleviating Fenix's anguish again. She wanted to get out of here as soon as possible; people might see, people might gossip.

_:I will help you Jewellyn, and Aerali will help Fenix. Together we can overcome this.:_

Mayei's presence, as communicated to her from the stables, was soothing; just knowing they were there had a calming effect. Jewellyn again felt that dark shape, that coiled snake of unbridled anger. She was hurting now too, but continued her healing through empathic abilities. She traced patterns on Fenix's forehead, she held his hands. All this despite the agony she was feeling and absorbing from him. Tears rolled down her cheeks. She would feel the nasty after effects later. Right now she wanted to get Fenix well and back to the Healer's Wing of the Collegium.

With the Companion's support and Jewellyn's skill as an empath, Fenix began to come around again. He looked around a little dazedly and managed to ask, "It's happened again, hasn't it?"

"We will get past this Fenix, don't worry." Right now she wanted to leave. She looked up, getting ready to move on. _By the Gods! who is that? _She looked over and saw a young gangly man with foppish hair and...that smile, that wicked smile. _Is that smile directed at me? No, it couldn't be. He's looking at someone beyond me, I'm sure..._Her heart sunk even a little bit more when she saw he was wearing aGuard Trainee's uniform. _No, not him. Not here! _she thought with a mounting anxiety. She did her best to hide her face as she tried to get up casually without attracting more notice. She reached down and offered her arm to Fenix. "Come on Fenix, let's go now!" she whispered loudly.

"What's the matter?" he asked. "Whats the big hurry?"

"I'll tell you when we get back, now isn't a good time. We need to go _now_!" she whispered again. Simon Dewwart was the _last_ person she expected to see here.

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Koromiel: The plot thickens! Mwa ha ha ha ha! For once, I wasn't the one who came up with this particular twist. And don't you love it? Another clifhanger! Ah yes, we're evil...so maybe if you guys post a few reviews, we can get the next chapter out quicker. hehe. Until then!

Cheers!


	31. Tying Up Loose Ends

Chap 31: Tying up Loose Ends

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The day of the Induction Ceremony for the new Trainees was always an event well planned for, and much of the people of Haven looked forward to it. It can be safely said, however, that the Trainees were the ones who looked forward to it the least. Of course they were all new to this and being under scrutiny from the Heralds and the Kingdom was a lot for them to bear. At the orientation meeting yesterday, Herald Rowland, who oversaw everything from the supervision of the Guards unit to the education of the Trainees, simply had told them to be themselves at the ceremony, to act naturally. The look on the faces of the Inductees as they glanced at each other uneasily upon hearing this matter of fact statement of Rowland's seemed to imply incredulity directed towards him as well as it seemed to suggest an unspoken question from_ them, _something like, "You are not serious, are you, Sir Rowland?" Yet, when they had heard from Rowland that King Theran was to give the commencement speech, they had become quite animated, discussing amongst themselves excitedly. It had appeared to Rowland they looked more eager to attend after hearing that declaration. He knew if he saved the information about King Theran's appearance to the last, it would help to 'save the day' for them. Then, it would be time for more serious matters after the ceremony...the hastily called meeting seemed to Rowland to portend nothing but ill fortune.

And so the day had finally arrived. It was yet another calm early morning of Autumn, with the various trees and their leaves painting the landscape with shades of crimson, cinnabar, burnt sienna, and gold yellow; their splashes of color contrasting artistically against the deep azure sky. Outside the palace everyone was busy as could be, putting up all the finishing touches for the Ceremony, and there was much murmur of conversation exchanged amongst them all along with the occasional shouts of instructions and commands.

While preparations were underway, Aine was in her quarters preparing herself for the Induction Ceremony. In contrast to her drab Trainee grays, she decided this time she was going to make herself appear a _little_ more attractive, a little more _feminine_ as it were. Aine was not normally self conscious but it did bother her that in her view, she seemed to possess somewhat of a 'boyish' figure. Of course a lot of this was due to the fact that she naturally became quite athletic because of all the hard work she had to do, and before she had gotten Obsidian around the age of fourteen, she always ran everywhere. Of course Aine was the harshest critic of herself, yet if one were to go by certain looks Aine drew from amongst the male population of Haven it would be inferred that she indeed was quite attractive. Deep down Aine knew she was attractive and she was aware of the looks the men gave her, but it would be out of character for her to admit this. It would also be not like her to acknowledge positive compliments about her appearance, vocal or otherwise; instead of a 'thank-you,' she would seem to get a little irritated and annoyed that anyone would say this about her. She figured the bearer of the praise must have had something else in mind other than to acknowledge her good looks; there had to be some other kind of underlying motive, perhaps to 'butter her up' for something. She gazed at herself in the silver plate mirror, noting the manner with which her blonde bangs hung down across her forehead. She dipped her fingers in the water basin and drew them across her bangs to give them more of an appealing sweep.

_:It really shouldn't take much at all in the way of preparation for you to appear more beautiful than you are, my love.:_

Xirthan had startled Aine, yet again. _Will I ever get used to this mindspeak? _she asked herself. Aine felt that overall she would be fine...as long as she didn't change into someone else that is. She shuddered yet again recalling that event; that _couldn't_ have been Jewellyn's face taking the place of my own...Aine had no trouble appreciating the horror and irony of _that _event. And then to Xirthan:

_:I thought you were getting good hay to munch on from now on, weren't you_? Aine's eyes began to appear a little more steel blue as opposed to the cool cobalt blue glow they normally displayed.

Out in the Companion stables Xirthan, along with the other Companions, were munching hay. Soon their Chosen would arrive to primp them up and get them ready for the 'reviewal' at the Induction ceremony.

_:And what relation does the quality of our hay have to do with the quality of your appearance_?

Aine had to give a little laugh at this statement from Xirthan. It seemed to her he was genuinely puzzled. Of course with Xirthan, you could never really tell. His dry sense of humor sometimes left her wondering as to whether he was serious or not with his comments.

_:Because obviously the quality has become so bad that it is making you delusional. It seems to me, Xirthan, that if the quality of the hay you have been eating was exceptional, you wouldn't feel compelled to compliment me. I think your efforts at getting quality hay lately from the stable-hands has failed. You want me to 'put in a word' as it were, to try and get higher quality hay. Hence the reason for you buttering me up. You know, I think it would be more effective if you were to go on strike: _Aine saw her smile reflected back to her from the mirror as she continued to primp.

Now it was Xirthan's turn to be slightly startled, _:It's funny you mention that Chosen, we were seriously considering that option. After all, if we were to continue to be fed moldy hay, our health and our constitution would suffer greatly. That should not be allowed to happen to us Companions. I would think you would have sympathy with this plight of ours: _Xirthan tried to convey to Aine a hearty snort and a look of disapproval at Aine's turn of thoughts. _:I still say your beauty needs no further enhancement, and I say this because I love you, not because of any ulterior motives or of the quality of our hay. Quite frankly, I am a little appalled that you thought I would compliment you for any other reason.: _Xirthan tried to export to Aine his mock sense of dismay.

This caused Aine to laugh out loud. She continued her mindspeak _:Xirthan I have to admit it. You are good. I have this feeling you would try to get in the last word no matter what. Though somehow I can't imagine you being appalled. Okay, okay I will put in a good word about your hay. See, I knew that was your motive for complimenting me Xirthan. Though next time, could you send me roses instead_?Aine laughed at her reflection in the mirror.

With a mock tone of a mild rebuttal Xirthan replied, _:I am aghast at the level of your cold-heartedness to me, Chosen. Indeed, I shall waste no more time trying to manipulate you with complimentary trickery, seeing as how you are insensitive to my plight no matter what. In fact, next time:-_

_:just send me the roses_! Aine interuppted.

_:I will send you the roses: _Xirthan chimed in almost simultaneously.

_:And no more pompous chatter either Xirthan, it doesn't become you.:_

_:Alas, you have wounded my sense of pride and high breeding, Chosen.:_

They couldn't help it, they both 'laughed' inwardly quite heartily, transporting this sense of warm fun mentally to each other as they did so.

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"No matter how hard I try, I just can't get Aine out of my mind!" Jewellyn exclaimed out loud, startling herself. _Thankfully though, there isn't anyone around to hear me, _she thought to herself. She too was preparing for the Induction Ceremony. In fact it seemed the harder she did try to get Aine out of her mind, the worse it became, this despite her earlier success at exorcising that that...woman from her mind. Like a pesky fly or a wayward ghost, the vision of Aine kept insinuating itself into her field of mental vision. This continued to happen despite the fact she was gaining more control of her mental faculties via the use of her healing and empathy skills.

_:Such are the trials of life, Jewellyn.: _Mayei was in the stables with the other companions, resting and feeding.

_:Ah, so you are tuning in on me. You said that so nonchalantly Mayei. Am I to take you seriously_?

_:Well I really don't want to meddle in your love life, Chosen, that only gets one into trouble. It makes a love relationship turn into one of hate, and I for one value our relationship. I think we can and will go far.:_

Still, Jewellyn could sense Mayei's general frustration with her. It made her feel even more uncomfortable though. _Can't I please anyone? _she thought with a slight sense of frustration.

:_It's not about pleasing people only in the hopes of getting your way, Jewellyn.:_

That startled her, and it stung too. _:Okay Mayei...point made.: _She wasn't mad at Mayei, though the truth of things did hurt a little.

_:It is a rare occurrence that I chide one's actions. I just thought you needed a little reminder, love.:_

She looked in the mirror, now she looked a little crestfallen._ :It is okay Mayei, I know you do it because you care.:_

_:And I won't belabor the point any further right now. I expect you will have fun at the ceremony, and we shall put on our best face there, right: _

_:Of course! Having fun is what it's all about.: _She tried to convey a sense of emotional brightness to her, knowing she probably wouldn't buy it.

_:I will leave you for now then Jewellyn.:_

_:Thanks Mayei...I really mean it too.:_

_:I know you do and you're welcome anytime of course.:_

Having this conversation with Mayei prompted her thoughts to turn in all kinds of directions. As she continued to fix her hair and adjust the clothing, she remembered those earlier meetings with Aine when she and Fenix were still at the orphanage. At the thought of that, the memory of Aunt Tildy suddenly popped up in her mind causing her to feel a sense of pleasant nostalgia; along with the memories of some of the more harsher lessons they had learned. Such as the one about unconditional love. That thought had come up unbidden of its own accord and inside she felt a small pang of guilt. Especially when she compared her behavior of late along with her mixed and tangled feelings about love, to the lesson Aunt Tildy tried to teach them about unconditional love. Jewellyn kind of half-knew what part of the problem was. _It was _Aine_ that's what it was...No, stop it! That's not it, I refuse to believe it, I can't be that shallow..._She tried to console herself, to tell herself that it was really her empath skills which were an additional element and problem to deal with as regarding the processing of her emotions. The process of healing and or absorbing an individual's pain was quite the intimate process. She was beginning to realize that she would have to develop that skill further, to further refine it and to somehow develop a professional distance from her clients as she used her empathic abilities upon them._ I think I love Fenix though. I really do. Even though I'm not sure exactly why, _she thought as she continued to put the finishing touches on her hair. She gazed at herself in the mirror now evaluating her appearance. Surely my appearance is more soft and warm as compared to Aine's. Or to _anyone_ else for that matter, she quickly reminded herself.

Of course, she couldn't see the future either; a future, that as it became the present, would bring many harsh lessons. Not to mention a trial by fire which it seemed everyone had to go through to further develop their maturity and appreciation of life's mysteries and wonders. She would also learn that (though she _thought_ she knew it already), that it was the small, pleasant things one did for one another which were essential to the development of the trust needed in a relationship.

Soon it would be time where they would all go out and see their Companions to get them ready for the ceremony. Jewellyn knew, of course, that Aine and Fenix would be present too. In a way, she hoped all would not be present at the same time, or maybe it would be better if they were there at the same time. Things should get _quite_ interesting from now on, she thought with a sly smile.

Little did she or anyone else know just _how_ interesting things would become. Nor did they have a clue of the high level at which things would become quite interesting.

Fenix found himself wondering as to how he could cause so much commotion without even trying. With the events at Knoll's Ridge and the horrors and agony following them he was desperately hoping for a bit of a reprieve. He didn't think he could stand much more of it, as it was only recently he began to feel somewhat normal and himself again. He didn't think Jewellyn could handle much more of it either. He knew it was thanks to her that he began to recover. Somehow she could draw the pain and agony right out of him. Of course it was a slow and tortuous process to them both.

I need to get Jewellyn out of my mind for now, if I don't, I'll never find my uniform, he thought with some anxiety. He also felt this strange sense of intimacy after one of her healing and empath sessions, and this confused him. _Was it love I felt? Was that what was really helping me? _he queried of himself. He knew intrinsically there was more to it, something a little more clinical perhaps. Although he found himself at times wondering if what Jewellyn was doing to him was indeed akin to making love. From what little experience he did have with physical love, he guessed that it was something like it, if not close to 'making love.' He had heard some people say that they always felt a little better 'afterwards.'

He was still searching for his gray Trainee uniform. He thought for sure he had put it in the cedar trunk underneath the small window in his room here. He became a little more frantic as time went on here because as sure as the sky was blue in Valdemar he would be late. He knew it, it was inevitable. It seemed he was always late. Of course his habit of putting things off to the last minute didn't help his cause much.

_:Did you look under the bed, Dear_?

Of course that was Aerali. She too was out in the Companion's stables awaiting the arrival of her Chosen. Soon, the Induction Ceremony of the new Trainees was to begin. No matter how many times he experienced this mindspeak, it always startled him. And even though he didn't fully appreciate his own ability to mindspeak with others as of yet, he realized the practice of this talent as much as possible was essential.

Fenix looked under the bed, there it was! _:Did you know it was under there, Aerali_?

_:Of course not, Love. I just know you. Therefore it was just a matter of simple deduction.: _

_:Hardy har har.: _Though Fenix did appreciate the humor behind his all too true abilities to lose and forget things, he sincerely wished he could overcome it somehow.

_:Think of it this way Chosen, it is but one of the many endearing qualities you have, it's what makes you...you.:_

Fenix tried to feel appreciative but he was feeling a little miffed, so to speak. _:Can you define 'endearing' for me Aerali_?

_:Certainly, Love. It is the character traits you have which are perceived as cute and or humorous by others.:_

_:So you would call my procrastination and my forgetfulness as endearing_?

_:I would say to the outside observer, yes it does appear that way.: _Aerali sent a sense of teasing play to Fenix.

_:Well I am the inside observer and I really don't find it funny at all; it is rather frustrating really. I think it should be more like _enduring _instead of endearing. 'Enduring forgetfulness' almost sounds more like an oxymoron to me, and more apt of a description.: _Fenix had to laugh a little at this observation of his.

_:I see you are beginning to get my point in all this, Chosen.:_

_:I think I am Aerali, and frankly, though you can be slightly annoying at times with your observations, I thank you for it.:_

_:You are most welcome love, and this despite your endearing qualities! I will see you at the Ceremony…that is, if you get there at all.:_

Fenix had forgotten the fact that he was supposed to be putting his uniform on! He struggled to put on the top part of his uniform, and as he tried to put on his breeches, he tripped and stumbled to the floor, banging his knees on the hard floor in the process. Fenix yelped with the pain of it and slowly got up and resumed the outfitting of his uniform. Once he got it on he looked in the mirror and then tried adjustments to the clothing as well as to the appearance of his brown hair. They were all to go out and meet at the Companion's Stables quite soon. He wondered though if they would really meet together at the same time. He secretly hoped that wouldn't be the case. Of course he would be glad to see Jewellyn, but he really was a bit more eager to make further acquaintance with Aine. He smiled. _There now, I look better. I hope she notices, _he thought as he primped himself in the mirror.

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Koromiel - Tada! And that's the last chapter you ppl are getting for a little while. I am in the process of moving from Washington (state) to California. So the computer is being packed tonight and then it's 'go go go!' So as always, reviews are appreciated.


	32. The King's Musings missing chap!

Chapter 32 part 1: The King's Musings... I had meant to post this first! See footnote below.

From his courtyard window King Theran observed the traffic of the people, the students and the Heralds, the Companions and their Chosen; some going out on circuit and some returning from their missions. It was an unusually warm and sunny day in Haven for it being so late in Autumn.There were also final preparations for the Induction Ceremony going on. Of couse festivities and tradition were important, but the King found himself thinking more now these days about how to _preserve _these traditions.

The King felt the general sense of unease amongst his subjects, the people of Haven and more so at the Collegium here. There is the Karsite business going on of course. He had heard vague, little tidbits of information here and there from the King's Own Jedin and others. Rumors, some truthful and some not, were circulating amongst the populace. Soon, they would have to be told of these potentially alarming turn of events. Musing on this now, he thought about Knolls Ridge. That seems to have started it all. Now it seems the Guard and the members of the Heraldic Circle are unable to get any intelligence from their Foreseers and Farseers about Karsite battle strategies. The last everyone had heard was that they were most likely 'lying in wait,' attempting to draw Valdemar in by having the Bandits commit heinous acts near the border. The Karsites knew, and rightly so, that Valdemar's best would not tolerate these atrocities any longer. It was a strategy used by them before, but this was more random with the timing, so it seemed; and the viciousness and callousness being used really was beyond comprehension to the Valdemarans.

Still, King Theran would never have thought the Karsites would endorse something as patently amoral as killing _babies. _With the intense anger that built up inside when he thought of these soulless crimes, he would go into battle anytime himself and swing his sword in a vicious arc around the pudgy neck of any Bandit that dared show their always dirt-smeared faces.

He wrinkled his brow and touched his finger to his now grayed, bearded chin. There was a 'buzz' about now that the Karsites of Sunhame had disappeared altogether...King Theran thought it had to be momentarily, like only the span of a day or two for sure. For surely the surrounding populace would suspect something within a quick period of time. This seemed to be all the intelligence that could be gathered for now.Obviously they would not abandon their resources for too lengthy of a time. As far as anyone could tell though, there were none of them, civilian or military, to be seen. Well that had to be false; it had to be an illusion of some kind. They had to be _somewhere_ in Karse. He did not think that for one moment that the Son of the Sun Nyaren and his military advisor Rath or even Vkandis would be able to pull off such a large scale feat, seeing as how they were sometimes in conflict as they had different approaches to their problems. Of course Vkandis would prevail, have the final word. King Theran knew they would resort to magic eventually and this could be a problem for Valdemar. The Karsites must also have implented some kind of psychic 'shielding' on a large scale wherever they were; hence the dearth of intelligence which Valdemar sorely needed. Scouts were sent in as well to attempt physical infiltration and to question some of the surrounding populace, but there were no reports back as of yet of the presence or lack thereof of the Karsites.

King Theran knew better though, real magic was reserved for the Sun-Priests and not allowed anywhere else in Karse; it was even taught to the people of Karse that the use of magic (by the Valdemarans as well of course) was evil. This hypocrisy, this duality of thinking the Sun-Priests had about their magic and the use of it was slightly amusing to the King; he knew that the Sun-Priests counted on the 'gullibility factor.' That is, the less the public knew and were kept isolated from, the better for the leaders of Karse to employ a little deceit with the administration of what would be their questionable policies to the otherwise fully informed. Little white lies would keep the populace of Karse quiet for awhile...Of course the King of Valdemar knew otherwise and used 'people friendly' diplomacy rather well; the public may have a short memory at times but they never forget about being treated honestly, fairly and decently. A meeting with the Circle would be very soon now about these troubling turns, and then an oration to his subjects to inform them and reassure them would soon follow.

Even with much on his mind and in deep thought now and in the past, the laugh lines around his eyes and mouth never seemed to diminish. He always found time to laugh no matter what. These thoughts prompted him to think of his oldest son, Clevis. They fortunately had shared many a laugh between them as he grew up. There were trying times of course but they had come through. Suddenly, King Theran found himself thinking about his own mortality. He felt at ease though knowing that his competent son would do just fine as an heir. Clevis had a lot of the King's qualities and also possessed an almost clinical calmness about him no matter what the situation was.

He thought a little now of the history of Valdemar. There were the Mage Wars way back in the time of 1000 BF, before the founding of Valdemar in this continent of Velgarth. Back then, real magic employed by the Mages was quite common. Then, he thought back to more recent times a couple decades ago of the tremendous episodes with Lavan Firestorm and of the momentous battle at White Foal's Pass. The aftermath of that whole fiery battle left Haven in silence and in mourning for weeks. Even now, when King Theran thought of the passing of Kalira and her Chosen Lavan Firestorm, it was impossible to hold back the tears. Thanks to the efforts of those two the Karsites were kept at bay for a lengthy period of time. He thought of the little tree they made into a memorial, the firecone which Pol and Illea had told him about. It was a symbol of survival and re-birth which they all hung on to now, and would hang on to in the uncertain times to come.

Part Two: Anxieties

The time had come, finally. For some apparently undefinable reason though, Jewellyn felt more anxiety than normal and it was coming from inside her as she had her empath skills toned down for now. They were all just moments away from going to the stables to meet with their Companions. _"What could it be though?" _she asked herself outloud. She raised one finger then continued on with her musings. _" One: of course there is the Induction Ceremony and the meeting with the Companions in the stables; that would cause a little anxiety_." As she talked she tried very hard not to think about Aine right now. She raised two fingers. _"And two: there is something wrong with the feelings between Fenix and I. I think he doesn't feel the same about me as I do about him. Is he leaning towards Aine now?" _She cursed a little under her breath. "_Will the specter of Aine torment me forever?" _She tried to turn her thoughts in a different direction. She raised a third finger. Suddenly she felt another little surge in her anxiety. _Oh yes! I almost forgot! Simon Dewwart! _There_ is a third thing to give me pause. What in the name of Valdemar is _he_ doing here?_

It was almost time to go. She had on her light green trainee clothes on for the ceremony. Of course she had done her hair up rather nicely and used a little jewelry here and there to enhance her appearance. And not for the first time, she found herself slightly amazed, even slightly incredulous that she and Aine would be attracted to Fenix. _Why? What was it about him? she thought, asking herself. _To Jewellyn's way of thinking men like Herald Trainee Ebson or Master Gaines were _much _more attractive and charming. She had seen Aine fawn over them too. Yet, there is something about Fenix...He has the great gift of enhanced mindspeech along with writing poems or telling stories. _But that can't be it...there was something else, something indefinable or mysterious about him, _thought Jewellyn. "Oh curse it! I'm just getting confused and irritated thinking about it." she said outloud again.

Almost semiconsciously she found herself attempting to mindspeak with Mayei. _:Oh Mayei I am not so sure being human is all that glorious.:_

_:And you think being a horse, a Companion, is enriching to our hearts and souls? After all we have to put up with you humans, our Chosen.: _Mayei tried to convey a sense of feigned mockery along with a little teasing fun to Jewellyn.

Jewellyn couldn't help it, she had to laugh at this. _:Oh Mayei you are so weird.:_

_:Oh, you mean I am unigue, I don't 'mold' myself to conform with the masses. My superior intelligence sets me apart.:_

_:Yes, it keeps you apart from a sense of _reality_ is what it does.: _interrupted Xirthan.

Mayei couldn't help but snort a little at that one. It was a clever and amusing observation for which she had no retort at the time. They were awaiting the arrival of their Chosen in the stables, who seemed to do everything at a glacial pace.

_:Mayei, you are something else. Yes, unique you are! What do you know about love? Can you help me there?_ She giggled a little at herself for even asking.

_:Only with this Chosen, that you don't let emotions be your sole ruler over your decisions or actions. I don't mean to be judgemental by making this statement but _think out _your options too. Raw emotions can cause one to act too hastily or rashly. Try not to think of Love as simply an emotion, rather, consider it as a course of unselfish action implemented over time. Okay, enough lecturing Chosen, it is soon time for the commencement.:_

Startled a little at Mayei's observations, Jewellyn found herself a little disquieted...momentarily. She looked in her mirror again. _There now I am dressed for the occasion. I wonder who will be there first in the stables, or will it be all of us at the same time? _She hoped that she could meet Fenix first._ It was time to start something, get the ball rolling. Time for action! _

Soon she would win at this game. Soon, she would get her way...and she wouldn't stop either. Even if Aine tried to get in her way.

Jewellyn finally left and went out to the stables...

Footnote: I meant to post this _before_ 'the meeting of the minds' one. Apparently I lost it and I luckily found it. I thought something was missing. Koromiel I need you back! All of this about the ceremony and the meeting with the king takes place in about two or three days. I apologize for any confusion but if you start with this chapter and then read 33 things will make more sense. Sorry about that!


	33. A meeting of the minds

Chapter 32 part 3: A Meeting of the Minds

As it turned out they did not appear in the Companion's stable at the same time. Strangely enough Fenix arrived first much to Aerali's astonishment and disbelief. It was early morning, the kind of cool damp morning of late autumn which soon would give way to the warming sun, thus ushering in those typical crystal clear blue skies native to Valdemar at this time of year...The kind of deep blue you could 'feel' inside; just gazing at the beauty of the sky would make you smile.

Aerali was currently being fitted with her royal blue and silver ceremonial tack, as were the other Companions. In the other stall off to the right it appeared as if Xirthan was fidgeting, waiting for a chance to kick one of the stablehands during an inattentive moment. Xirthan hated wearing saddles, and though he learned to put up with those, he absolutely abhorred wearing anything over his sleek and supple body. Xirthan 'told' Aine once via mindspeak that it 'cramped his style.' To which Aine teasingly replied that _style_ is defined as the class you think you have that no-one else could possibly have when you think you are 'hot stuff.' The look Xirthan gave Aine then was similar to the look Xirthan was giving the stablehand now.

The Companions for the other members of the ceremony, already decked out, were idly waiting; some were testing the arrival of some new hay. It was difficult to tell whether they were really enjoying this new hay or not. Mayei stood apart from the others however and seemed a little restless, pacing back and forth.

Some of the other stablehands and new students were busy weaving blue ribbons into which would soon be all of the Companion's stylish manes and tails.

Aerali looked up as Fenix approached, who was not looking too bad considering the trouble he was having dressing a little earlier.

_:Surely, my eyes deceive me, this cannot be you Fenix. Tell me you are an apparition and I will trust my senses more.:_

Fenix looked around in the dust filled stables, noting the bright, scintillating sunlight sharply contrasting with the shadowy recesses of the building. He peered a little more intently, squinting, trying to ascertain Aerali's form. He moved aside a little and there she was. They had finished putting on Mayei's tack and began to work on Aerali's tack now. Xirthan was still being his usual difficult self.

_:Haha Aerali, this time I am not a wayward apparition. I find it difficult to believe I am the first one here.:_

_:Indeed, and I thought the laws of physics were immutable. Of course I have to remember who I'm dealing with here; you are certainly a random factor in all this, Chosen.:_

_:Ok Aerali, can the pseudo-intellectual jargon. Point made and noted.: _Fenix couldn't help but laugh a little, Aerali could be viewed as a rose, but more often it seemed she was a thorn. But a thorn I can certainly live with, he quickly reminded himself.

At this point the door opened and Aine walked in with that self-assured manner of hers. The Companions and the other stablehands looked up. Aine looked stunning even with her Trainee grays on. Of course, it was the way she did up her hair and the sensual yet athletic way she 'carried' herself that drew attention away from everything else.

All at once Fenix found himself feeling quite uneasy. Mysteriously and gradually, he had found himself thinking more about Aine as time went on. This despite Jewellyn's attentions and all the mind-healing she had performed for him. He had been dreaming about Aine as well, much to his astonishment. The dreams, he thought, had rivalled some of the idyllic romantic poetry he had written. He wished that somehow he could capture the pure essences of those dreams and put them down on paper. Alas, sometimes words could not quite cut to the quick, though they can come close, he often found himself thinking.In his view this was the poet's or the bard's never resting quest. To capture the divine essence of fantasy and romance with words; that sweet and pure, yet elusive elixir which had the power to inflame one's soul with a burning passion, or which had the power to drive one forever mad, unable to fully realize that fantastic, impossible love long sought after..._'Hey I should write that last thought down...not bad.'_ Fenix's mind was wandering yet again.

_:I want to have a talk with you Aine, these ruffians are not treating me with respect at all.:_

_:Oh Xirthan, do lighten up a little. You know quite well you will shine out there at the ceremony, even despite your faults.:_

Aine ignored Xirthan for now, and flashed that arresting smile of hers in Fenix's direction. "Ah it seems your head is in the clouds again my dear friend. I get the impression that the sure ground of the earth isn't always stable footing for you." She smiled slyly at Fenix, making him feel even more uncomfortable.

Fenix tried to smile back, but he felt it retreat back into his now worry-lined face. He had imagined himself feeling a little more self-assured and suave with Aine in the play-acting he often did in his mind. He had a bit more of an upper hand and Aine was always well pleased with his verbal sorcery in these imagined scenarios.

"Well I uh, normally have very sure footing," Fenix attempted to respond. He literally, so it seemed to himself, was growing shorter by the moment.

Aine laughed. "Take it easy Fenix, I trust you have learned your lesson and won't be climbing those lofty trees anymore." Again, that sly smile.

_:Ah yes, I remember that time you rescued me, it was rather fun really.: _Startled, Fenix realized he had used mindspeak when he actually meant to say it out loud; albeit with a slight revision. Fenix blushed a little.

Aine's eyes grew wider a little as she received Fenix's unexpected mindspeak. "Well I heard that _loud_ and clear Fenix, in my mind that is. Like at Knoll's Ridge when you sent out your urgent summons for help, it came at me so strong I got a bit of a headache." She smiled at him a little more pleasantly now.

He smiled a little at the memory of how she had fallen on top of him after she had rescued him from the tree and he was going to say something about it again but decided that perhaps now was not the best time. He looked down at his feet and said out loud, "Well it is nice to see you here, it is funny how we all did end up here after all."

Aine glanced at Xirthan and had to smile a little. They were almost done with him. She turned her gaze back to Fenix. "Yes it is and I trust things will be quite interesting from now on. Between the classes at the Collegium here and the brewing drama about the Karsites, I think we will have our hands full."

"And you are already established at the Collegium, doing some of your hand to hand combat and weapon skills training, right?" Fenix shifted from one foot to the other, it looked as if he was searching his mind for something else to say, something _intelligent and original._ He blanched at the thought he had asked her something he already knew. The mention of weapons and Aine's presence made him think of her left hand, and of how he was responsible for the injury of it at Knoll's Ridge. It was still bandaged a little, even now.

"Oh yes, but there is much more to the Collegium than that. We are beginning to take courses in everything from deductive logic, map reading, and even how to manage finances. I think you will like this all, it will inspire you." Aine smiled again at Fenix.

Of course Fenix and Jewellyn had only been here about about four days, but they already had gotten a little taste of things.

"Well I think that's great. Um, I see your hand there, it looks as if it still might be painful." Fenix still felt a little pang of guilt about that whole episode.

Aine held out her hand. "Yes...you were a tough beast to reign in that day. Of course I could hardly blame you considering the horrors we had seen and witnessed back then."

Fenix held her outstretched hand, managed to look into her deep blue eyes and said, "I really am _very_ sorry about that, I-"

It was precisely at this moment in time Jewellyn arrived and came in through the stable doors. The first thing she saw were Aine and Fenix holding hands. "Ah...well I see the both of you are a step or two _ahead_ of me today." Jewellyn tried to smile despite feeling her emotional brightness slip a few notches.

Aine and Fenix appeared to be startled by Jewellyn's sudden appearance. Fenix let go of Aine's hand, feeling a little stab of guilt for some inexplicable reason. _'I almost feel as if I got caught robbing the cookie jar here...why?_

Jewellyn strolled briskly over toMayei, whose tack was done with now, trying not to look at those two, especially Aine. She was trying to conceal her emotions, being afraid she might telegraph her mixed feelings to them. With her back turned to them she said rather stiffly, "When we are done here Fenix, I need to talk to _you_."

Fenix sighed and rolled his eyes at Aine. They really didn't need to say much, they figured that this would be quite the discussion.

Of course, Fenix was not looking forward to this talk at all.

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Footnote. The actual induction ceremony will be next...finally. We hope you are still enjoying this story! koromiel and I have been busy with different things but we should be having more updates here soon. One more chap then on to phase two where we will kick things up a notch or two and bring in the Karse side even more. Phase three and the ending we have planned out and it promises to be rather dramatic...and surprising. As this is a work in progress we eventually will edit or re-write some parts perhaps. To those of you read this and to those of you who read and give reviews we are indebted to you very much. Again, criticism is welcome (we like the praise part lol), as it helps us to shape our story. Criticism of any kind is welcome of course. Thank you for your interest!


	34. Another Convergence

**Chapter 34: Another Convergence**

Jewellyn walked with Mayei out to Companion's field. Her long, curly brown hair glittered in the sunlight. Out in the distance a little ways it was clear the Induction Ceremony was soon to begin. She began to wonder about herself; being confused with these inner conflicts while at the same time trying to manage her empath skills was a bit difficult..

_:I'm so upset with myself. I feel almost less than human for feeling the way I do about Aine. And it's all because of Fenix? What in Valdemar's name is wrong with me? I say to myself I won't act that way when I see Aine, that I won't act like a three year old just deprived of her toys. Yet-:_

_:You act in ways you promise yourself you won't, despite all your noble efforts at self control. You are frustrated; you feel that somehow it is a mortal sin to behave like a human being. You are not a Goddess.: _Mayei's strong muscular form, along with her silk white mane and the sweeping thrash of her long, graceful tail, almost seemed to glow in the rich sunlight

Jewellyn's hackles rose a little bit hearing this blunt declaration from her Companion. She turned around to look at Mayei, who was now grazing. This time she spoke out loud, "Mayei, I really could do without the cold hard truth."

_:Again, I am not unusually fond of chiding you, Chosen. That will be the last you 'hear' of it from me for quite a while. The future will come soon enough and you will deal with it.:_

Jewellyn looked at her Companion imploringly. _:Okay Mayei, tell me this, are there any _good _qualities about me?_

Mayei rose her handsome head up from her grazing, trying her best to look as if she was in deep thought_. :Well now let me see... I'll think of something.: _Mayei's deep blue eyes twinkled at Jewellyn.

Jewellyn placed her hands on her hips, stared directly at Mayei and said out loud again, "Well Mayei are you through thinking, can't you think of anything?" she asked with an edge of irritation to her voice.

_:You tell me Chosen, _what are _your good qualities, surely you must know better than I:_

Jewellyn looked up at the sky as if expecting an answer to somehow fall down to her from up there._ :Now let's see...wait...I'll think of something...: _All the sudden Jewellyn burst out laughing, placing her hands on her knees, "Mayei what is it about you, you always make me laugh and you are so sly about it." She continued laughing, gasped and said, "Mayei, like I said before, you are so weird!"

Mayei returned to her grazing. _:I will refrain from commenting at that statement Jewellyn, Xirthan is nearby and most likely will make me the butt of his joke again.:_

Jewellyn couldn't help but laugh a little more.

Fenix and Aine, along with their Companions Aerali and Xirthan respectively, made their way out to Companion's field. As they drew near to Jewellyn and Mayei, they tried to appear as nonchalant as possible. It seemed that lately whenever they were together there was quite the tension in the air, whether anyone spoke or not. And for a while no-one did speak.

They all remained a little distance apart, and Aine began to brush Xirthan's coat.

_:Oh if I could purr I surely would be doing that now.:_

Aine first brushed the exposed parts of his coat, then worked her way underneath the tack.

Fenix gazed up from adjusting Aerali's bitless bridle, and noticed Aine brushing Xirthan's coat with her left hand, which even still, was slightly bandaged up from that incident at Knoll's Ridge. Fenix began to feel a little anxiety and unease being reminded of that affair. He now had developed a little affection for Aine—no. It felt more like he was on the borderline of obsession. He even fantasized a what life would be like with her, yet_...'If I act like a berserker again surely she would keep her distance from me,' _he thought to himself. Fenix was very aware of how quickly his anger could turn into violence. He didn't have to have a muscular build, and despite his serene appearance he could do serious injury to someone. He was ashamed of this tendency of his to so quickly phase into mindless violence, and he tried to repress it as best he could.

_:There must be some way to channel all that power into something good as well, just imagine what you could do then, perhaps this will all be a good thing.: _

Though Aerali was feeling optimistic, Fenix was not.

_:Perhaps if you go over and talk to Aine, it will help you to feel better about the whole affair.: _Aerali knew Fenix would learn about life over time, but she figured that right now a little prompting wouldn't hurt.

_:I was just thinking the same thing Aerali, perhaps I can summon up the courage.: _Then, thinking to himself, _But maybe I'm just imagining she likes me, perhaps her charm works that way on everybody.:_

Nonetheless, Fenix began to walk in Aine's direction, passing by Jewellyn who offered a pleasant smile at him. _I hope at this time she decides not to walk or talk with me, I like her, yet now is not the time._

There were a few suspenseful seconds but Jewellyn remained where she was. Fenix looked back and Jewellyn was still smiling at him. He tried to offer a smile in return but Fenix felt the smile fall off of his face rather quickly. He quickly turned around and drew near to Aine.

"Hi there Fenix, are you nervous about the Ceremony?" Aine flashed that soul melting smile of hers at Fenix.

Fenix wasn't really too anxious about the ceremony at all. And sure enough, he felt Aine's magic working on him. He took in a deep breath, somehow managed a comfortable smile and asked, "Well, not really. Are you?" Fenix quickly realized he was being 'dumb' with his conversing again. _I'm not going to score any points this way with her that's for sure. he thought to himself._

She continued smiling, still looking up at Fenix. "Yes actually I am Fenix. I've been here for a little while yet I feel a little anxious about making a good impression. I don't want people to think I'm socially inept."

This statement caused Fenix to raise his eyebrows. 'Her_ not making a good impression, _her_ being socially inept?' _Fenix tried to stifle the laughter bubbling up within him, yet he laughed a little and said, "I think you've made quite the impression on _me_."

Aine cocked her head to the side, smiled brightly at him and said genuinely, "Why, thank you." _Oh gods! That's all you could say? Thank you! _She silently reprimanded herself.

Fenix blushed a little_. That came out wrong. I had meant to say that I was quite certain she makes a good impression on everybody. _He felt the unease within returning, rising to the surface again. He watched Aine's bandaged hand as she brushed Xirthan. He still felt a little guilt about that whole incident.

Jewellyn pretended to not be listening, but her radar-like ears perked up when she heard Fenix say. 'I think you've made a good impression on me.' Her emotions began to churn a little. She tried to contain herself but couldn't. Mayei was still grazing nonchalantly as Jewellyn walked over to where _those two _were. She drew nearest to Aine.

Fenix simply looked at Jewellyn. Aine smiled at Jewellyn and said brightly and innocently, "Well it's about time you came over here. I was hoping we all could have a nice chat here before we go parade ourselves around the place." Aine laughed a little and said as she looked at Jewellyn, "Fenix here has been praising me, despite my beliefs and insecurities he thinks I make a good impression on him. I was worried a little about making a good impression on everyone. I thought I would be too nervous, personally. What do you think, Jewellyn? Are you nervous about making a good impression there?"

Fenix felt himself shrinking, if he could have melted into the ground right on the spot there he would have done just that.

Jewellyn felt her temperature rise a little. _Right now I feel like making a good impression right on your face! _Instead she forced herself to smile and said, "Of course who wouldn't? But I'm not nervous at all really. Being self assured comes naturally for me." She blinked at Aine.

Aine felt a little sting of intimidation there. If Jewellyn was trying to be pleasant she didn't succeed at all with the tone in her voice. She wanted to ignore her statement but found herself saying, "Well you don't have to be arrogant about it, I was just striking up some conversation here, we are all friends are we not?"

"Of course, but it depends on how much favor one earns by 'brown-nosing' up to the other person. And...whether or not it's spread out evenly, right? Jewellyn blinked at Aine yet again.

_:Well, this doesn't look good: _Xirthan's nostrils flared.

Aine stopped brushing Xirthan. The other Companions could feel the electricity in the air. Aine squinted at Jewellyn and with a tight lip said, "If you're trying to get me into a fight, forget it! What is it with you acting so immature all the sudden? There was a time when we helped each other, remember?"

This prompted Jewellyn to slap Aine right in the face. Oddly, despite her surpise at being slapped, Aine noted that Jewellyn's eyes became a bit misty.

Aine quickly turned her face back to Jewellyn with the kind of glare no one wants to see; and spoke with a low tone in her voice, "Commit to memory what I am about to tell you: I am a person who will forgive once, but upon the second transgression you will see a side of me I would rather not show. Do this again, and I will show you no mercy. Do you understand?"

Jewellyn said nothing, trying to regain some of her composure, but at the same moment, almost scared. She just nodded her head in the affirmative at Aine's stern request.

Fenix was looking at no-one. He wanted to say something, but couldn't think of anything under the circumstances.

Finally, Aine went from ice-shattering to her old self again, broke the silence and said, "Come on let's go, we have a Ceremony to go to!"

And with that, they all silently went with their Companions towards the Collegium, where in a large center garden court the ceremony would take place.

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Koromiel: OMG I'm back! It's good to be editing again! Amidst all the chaos, I am finally moved, comfortable, and getting on with life and a 40hr a week job. ) So hopefully things will be going a bit quicker here...and updates shouldn't be so far and few between. So as always, reviews are appreciated and it's good to be back!


	35. As the Sun Sets

**Chapte 35: As the sun sets...**

Rowland had just returned from a meeting at the Collegium and was now heading towards the palace for the meeting with the Heraldic Circle. As he walked, Rowland pondered the discourse of the meeting at the Collegium. It had to do with a new recruit for the Guard, one Simon Dewwart. It quickly became known this fellow was a bit of a miscreant. He was from the orphanage at Beldorn where Fenix, Aine, and Jewellyn came from. Apparently an 'Aunt Tildy' there, as she was known, was an inadvertent and unfortunate victim of one of Simon Dewwart's latest bullying escapades. As Simon was bullying one of the younger children, Aunt Tildy had tried to intervene, and had received a solid punch in the face. Enraged, and not one to just let things happen to her, she had promptly wrestled Simon to the ground and sat on his stomach; and she wasn't going to move either! Aunt Tildy had one of the children summon the Guard. It then came about that Aunt Tildy figured Simon could use a good dose of 'reality medicine' as it were; hence his arrival at Haven. The basic training they underwent would either make or break him.

The main reason of the meeting, however, had to do with the fact that during his interview and orientation process, Simon had told them that in fact, he was greatly concerned about this 'Aunt Tildy'. When further queried Simon reported that he had seen a rather odd looking figure which apparently was 'spying' on the night-doings at the orphanage two nights in a row. The first night, Simon reported that he was lying in bed, unable to sleep, and had seen someone slowly rise up to view in his bedroom window. Startled and shocked, Simon rose up and simultaneously this person disappeared rather abruptly from sight. Simon told them that he was too scared at that point to further investigate. The second night, however, Simon managed to sneak outside to see if this would happen again. He had managed to hide in a bush nearby, and sure enough, about a candlemark or two later, the 'spy' had returned. This time Simon noticed he was heading in the direction of Aunt Tildy's quarters at the left front side of the building. The rogue had attempted to view into Aunt Tildy's window as well. Simon had dared not move, so he said, and remained there until morning. The bullying incident had occurred one day after that second night of the spying. Despite the doubts about Simon's credibility, Rowland had sent out a couple of the Guards out there to watch over the orphanage at night. But of course, Aunt Tildy was informed that the Guards were on the lookout for a thief who had been stealing much of the surrounding farmer's potatoes and rutabagas.

Rowland had finally arrived at the Palace and was heading towards the King's chamber and some of the adjoining meeting rooms.

Now seating himself in the Lesser Council room, Rowland began to muse upon recent events outside the Collegium. Rowland knew, as well as the other members of the Heraldic circle that the ploy of attempting to draw Valdemar's forces in closer to Karse, was an old one. The Bandits had been ruthless and indiscriminate before but more and more they were going for the 'jugular' by murdering children. The incident at Knoll's Ridge still turned his stomach when he thought of it. He had heard wind though that now there was an unusually deceptive tactic being employed; that the Karse enemy was lying in wait, apparently somewhere else at an unknown location. Also, there was this disturbing news that almost everyone in Karse seems to have inexplicably vanished. They had apparently raised a shield as well, therefore the foreseers and farseers were having quite the time getting any intelligence; it was being effectively blocked. Never before had this shield been used on such a massive scale. The Karsites had used it on their spies and soldiers at times, but when caught by the Valdemar forces, the truth spell was able to penetrate it quite easily. This shield however, was different, stronger, and more encompassing; it seemed to cover the whole capital of Karse's Sunhame. Attempts at infiltration and spying by some of Valdemar's elite and specially trained Heralds was already underway. Very little information had been gathered. None of the Companions seemed to be able to get any information thus far either. How and why they had pulled this latest stunt was a mystery that worried the Council more than anything else that had happened before.

Rowland surveyed those who were in attendance at the long awaited update at this latest meeting. They were all a little nervous and quiet for now as they awaited the arrival of King Theran. Rowland's thick eyebrows arched a little as he noticed Bard Ulwyyn was absent. As far as he knew no one knew or had been notified of the reason of his abscence. The Bard was always good at maintaining communication and contact. Jevan Piers, Captain of the Guard was here, nervously drumming his fingers on the table, attracting annoyed looks from the Lord Marshal and others. This time, King Theran's son Clevis was in attendance, much older and regal looking now, having seen some battle experience. He had the unique gift of fetching, and was able to expand this ability greatly by using the help of Herald Tran, one of the more adept of the farseers. Clevis looked comfortable as usual, and he was eager to hear this latest news and then he would be more than ready to do something about it.

King Theran was conversing with Jedin in his chamber, now pondering about when Clevis would take over the throne of Valdemar. He looked out the window, gazing as if he should be able to see something defining out there, then deciding he could not see it, turned his attention back inwards._ I am quite confident my son will do very well as a King, with his intelligence and intuition, in fact-_

"I am sorry, Theran, but you seem rather distracted." Jedin was one of the two who would just call him Theran. The other person was Queen Phyllis. He looked at the King with concern.

"Pardon me Jedin, I was thinking about the future a little."

Rolan, Jedin's Companion, intervened. _:He is concerned about his mortality, and what will happen afterwards.: _The Companions did not often share thoughts about individuals with other than their own Chosen. In this case however, they all shared an intimacy developed through all the trials they had been through.

"I think we all are, Theran. However, this is a little more personal perhaps?" Jedin again looked at the King with the eyes of a true and sincere friend.

"Yes it is. I am unusually worried and anxious, yet at the same time I am confident of Valdemar's future." The King stood up and said, "Jedin, it is time, in more ways than one."

Jedin stood up too and they went out to the meeting to discuss the future of Valdemar.

The future can be unyielding and uncertain at times, yet it seemed very certain that things would become radically changed, and rather tense in the ensuing months. Off in the distance, a little could be seen in the spectral and graceful white form of a Companion, standing on a hill in the Companion's field as the sky began to darken. In a crimson and pastel blue sky, tinged with clouds having flame as their lining, the large red sun began to set on yet another day of Valdemar.

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Koromiel: And there's another chapter! We looooove comments! Anything to say today, Phoenix?

Phoenix: hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Koromiel: I guess that's a "no". Ah well, till next time!


	36. Double Double Toil and Trouble

**Chapter 36: Double Double, toil and trouble...**

The reports had come in at an alarming rate to Haven and then inside the Collegium. Inside the Palace serious strategic talks were well underway. The Lord Marshal and the Captain of the Guard Jevin Piers were in the Lesser Council Room and they were discussing the appropriate and hasty re-assigning of personnel. They were awaiting the arrival of Rowland to re-affirm their plans and as well to discuss the speeding up of the Herald trainee process. Of course inside the Palace King Theran presented a calm countenance. He was being given the latest alarming turn of events via the King's own Jedin. Herald Gillespie, stationed a ways from the border of Karse, was as well communicating the info he received to them from the scouts and foreseers. Of course Gillespie's Companion was assisting with the relaying of the news too.

"So, they have chosen to use deception and trickery again. They disappear for a little less than a day, then they seemingly appear out of no-where to make a show of force," King Theran said, then sighed. He stood up, looking regal and impressive as always. He stood in front of one of the three lanterns in his chamber, the flickering, sallow light there from served to further sharpen and contrast his features, and to illumine his gray facial hair. "We have troops stationed about at midpoint from here to Karse," he said as he pointed at the map on the massive oak table near-by. Even with our best Companions and Heralds it would take them four to five days to get there where they are all stationed now; and that of course is pushing it considerably."

Jedin patiently listened. He knew the King was theorizing and planning, not necessarily asking for any opinions. "Theran, sir", of course Jedin was one of the very _few _who could address him without formality, "it would almost seem we have gotten caught with our collective breeches down as it were." Here he paused to smile as he tapped the table with his fingers. "So we'll have to play a little more tough and aggressive as well, perhaps use even a little of our own trickery."

At the word 'trickery' King Theran quickly gazed at Jedin. They had been discussing some things, now it would seem they had no time to waste to get ready and employ these tricks. He turned around facing the wall and said, "If you're thinking like me Jedin," here he turned around to look at his confidant, paused to smile then continued, "and I know you rarely do, but I think this is only a mere show of force. About what they can do and how secretive and quickly they can do it. They effectively blocked our scouting efforts with a more elaborate 'psy-field' that they have used before." He raised his arms and said, "Then they seem to disappear, or go underground then re-appear so it seems, with more numbers and force than before-"

Here Jedin politely interrupted. "Of course some of that may be illusion, they have used magic before to their own arcane ends but-"

King Theran said , "Of course we have to prepare for it now! And it means that we are going to have to pick up the pace with the Herald Trainees..." Here he paused and said with a lower tone to his voice, "And we will of course, have to induct some Trainees before they are truly ready." Actions like this were one of the more difficult things for the King to consider. Despite some tough outward appearances, the King still had it in his heart to consider his people to be more than mere numbers. He once said during one of his monthly speeches, "_We are our people, and the people are us. If we treat our subjects and those who serve us callously, only as mere numbers to serve our own selfish purposes, then I am afraid we are doomed as a country. I should not have to explain why this would be. It is simple, I count on you to serve and protect our nation, and you can count on me to govern it with intelligence and authority."_

And no one doubted King Theran at all. There was never a reason to do so.

Here Jedin paused in thought, thinking perhaps that-

:_Yesterday would have been better Jedin. I have the sense this is their last 'hurrah' as it were, and that they will go all out here. After all it has been a while since we've seen the FireCats.:_

_:Yes Rolan, it is an issue of _us _giving it all we have now...or never.:_

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Herald Tran couldn't believe what he was seeing from his scouting vantage point a few leagues shy of the Valdemar border with Karse. He knew they would be coming because of the limited intelligence the Foreseers had gathered for them thus far. He hadn't visualized a scene such as this though. So many of them on horseback...with their red tacks on and with members of the elite SunGuard riding them, the whole entourage rapidly advanced towards the borders with frightening speed in clouds of dust and fire. His Companion, Tarae, appeared to be a little alarmed, and for her, it took a lot for her to be in that state. _:Now what in the name of the gods is this? Why such a sudden and massive movement when they had been for all intents and purposes invisible before:_

_:You should be seeing them about now with your abilities.: _Mindspeakers and Farseers alike were working together. Herald Gillespie, one of the more talented and adept of the mindspeakers, was working with Tran in this case. He was situated off a little more northeast of Herald Tran and therefore a little closer to Hardorn. _Now how did they and why...it has to be only the SunGuard themselves...and there are FireCats too. Now there's something we haven't seen for quite some time. _Herald Gillespie's Companion Evalle stood at attention nearby. She was one of the more beautiful Companions with a silky shimmering coat of the purest white. Her water blue eyes were busy watching this event unfold against the horizon of a cold grey sky. She mindspoke with her Herald, _:Of course we have reinforcements on the way, hopefully they will come sooner rather than later.:_

_:All I see is those billowing clouds of dust or smoke, and yes...fire behind that..ah I see them now..: _Tran shifted his weight as he addressed Herald Gillespie via mindspeak. He shivered from the cold. He only had a localized secondary talent of Mindspeaking, but it was good enough here. One of his gangly legs had fallen 'asleep'. He was shifting his legs to relieve that as well as trying to get a better view from his position on the grassy ridge. He didn't want to move too far though from the cover of the large rock in front of him. Herald Tran was quite tall, almost seven feet.His elongated limbs combined with his long narrow body made him appear even taller. The troop_ en masse _drew towards the border now, and he watched with an anxious awe as the thundering horses advanced, with their manes and heads appearing now and then through the clouds of smoke and fire. They were trying to cover as much of the southern border as they could, without advancing too far apparently. Without his permission, his mind went back to a particular memory that still made him feel a bit insecure…

_His height was the butt of many a joke especially when you consider he was a Farseer as well. One witty inebriate inside the Griffin Eggs Tavern had seen Herald Tran talking to some fellow Heralds. Of course Herald Tran 'stood out' from the rest of the crowd. Said inebriate attempted to saunter gracefully up to where Herald Tran was. He had had way too much Red Griffin Beer and did not succeed at all with being graceful, yet with a drunken sort of elegance, he made his way to the small entourage of Heralds. He wanted to know something and had to find out now, this was an important mission. He tapped Herald Tran on the elbow and as he turned around he was greeted with a considerable amount of exhaled alcohol laden vapors and an apparently important question from this rough looking fellow._ "Shaayy, um," _the inebriate's eyes attempted to focus on Herald Tran, _"How...how did you get so...um…tall?"

_Herald Tran laughed out loud._ "Well my good fellow I uh-"

"Youuu are a Farsheer I bet. I hear the-they hasta to be veeery tall like you to shee as far as they cannnn..." _He said, still swaying on his feet a little._

Not a terribly funny statement in itself but it drew quite the laughter from the surrounding bar-crowd. At that pont Herald Tran's face had turned considerably red. He had wished he really could have shrunken in size as much as he had felt at the time…

Tran shook the memory off physically and mentally. _That was a long time ago…stop letting it get to you. There are more important things at hand._

Herald Gillespie awaited further news from his scouts who had dared to go in a little further in flanked to the west of Karse. His Companion edged closer towards him. _:I think this might just be a show of force. a considerable one at that.: _And then to himself thought grimly, _With our numbers at present we could only hold them off for so long..._

He turned his wise and grey bearded face towards Evalle. _:Let's hope you're right...a show of force with a little more magic thrown in for good measure too, I fear.:_

_It seems they have stopped now, _Herald Tran had thought to himself. He was looking at them from a considerable distance, yet he couldn't shake the nervous feeling that the SunGuard were staring right at him, and _through_ him as well. It was a strong and an unnerving sensation. He felt as if the Karsites were viewing them from a lense, thus focussing their sense of amusement and hatred right at them more intensely than normal. He felt the Karsites were the cat, and that they were the mouse being toyed with. As if to say _There! Now what do you think of this! We could annihilate you right now! _Tarae was feeling very nervous as well.

_:They never give up do they? I think this might be their last attempt, their last hurrah to gain our land. Persistent fellows they are, you think they would have given up by now.:_ observed Tarae.

_:We're thinking about the minds of Karsites, Tarae. The evil some men can do is far worse than any other kind of damage done by any other means, natural or otherwise. It's stupid evil really, a stupid and a persistent evil. A bad combination.:_

Apart from them, Herald Gillespie continued his nervous observations.

Tarae could only nod her head in agreement to Herald Tran's observation. She knew that the Karsites thought the same about them.

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KoromielAnd there it is! Another chapter...hopefully we didn't keep y'all waiting too long on that...I should be posting the next chapter tomorrow. Until then!


	37. A Murder Most Foul

**Chapter 37: A Murder Most Foul  
**

The moon wasn't out at all tonight. Outside in the darkness the sounds of nature could be heard. Crickets were chirring, and the cold wind was making the sound of a soft rustling through the leafless trees. Inside the orphanage all had settled down for now. Dishes and books were put away, awaiting the arrival of the new students in the morning; not all students, of course, would be thrilled to see either of those - _necessities, _as the adults so euphemistically called them.

It was very quiet inside the orphanage as everyone had been in bed for a candlemark or two already.

Outside the orphanage one of the night Guards passed silently by on horseback. He looked around and went all the way around the orphanage too. Nothing to be seen so far, no footprints of would be thieves to be seen. He resumed riding on circuit, and within another candlemark or so another Guard riding circuit would come by.

Inside the orphanage Aunt Tildy was only half asleep; she was semi-consciously thinking about Fenix and Jewellyn, hoping they were all right. She hadn't heard from them for a while, but she figured one of the Guards would deliver a post soon from them. _There was so much troubling news coming from Haven these days..._she thought as sheturned to her other side away from the window. She held on to the Valdemaran Circle of Love necklace as she always did when she went to bed. Finally...she fell asleep.

Outside the orphanage everything suddenly became deathly quiet, even the rustling from the trees had stopped; and the cold breeze had died down to nothing. Nothing seemed to move, nothing seemed to stir...except for one thing...

_It had to be now, now or never. _He sensed the time was right; he always felt he had a sixth sense about these things. It hadn't failed him yet. He knew how to get in the orphanage well enough, he would go through the grain barn then to the cellar door where there was a by-way into the orphanage. It would then just be a matter of proceeding like a cat, without making any noise. He didn't consider himself to be as graceful as a cat, but he was confident, practiced, and cautious while doing these things.

He quickly looked around from behind the shrubbery then hunched down as best he could. He made a quick dashing move towards the grain barn, then hid behind a row of hand plows and other farm implements. He looked around again, the whites of his eyes darting rapidly back and forth as he surveyed the surrounding territory like a hawk, and he listened as well for any noise.

_Success is all about practiced observation. You have to know the strengths and weaknesses of any locale and the people in it, _then_ you can move in on the target...you could do it almost incognito as it were, people were always so busy with other things to notice anything awry...because they failed to observe! _he thought to himself, chuckling a little.

He only had to lift the latch quietly then quickly get to the barn, then that passageway to the left before he reached the cellar. _Easy as stealing the best Valdemaran Pie! _He chuckled to himself again...to him, this was all too funny, really.

_Time to go...now! _He made another dash towards the barn, then quickly and quietly lifted the latch across the door and went in like water in a stream. He had to get all this done very quickly before the guards returned and noticed the unlatched barn door, that is if the Guard would even notice it. He figured it was better to assume that they most likely _would_ notice it, so he employed speed and stealth to get in, get it done, and then quickly drop from out of site.

_If one of the Heralds come out here though,_ _that would be the end of everything...they find out everything too. _This thought spurred him on. He quickly regained concentration on the task at hand and was now proceeding through the by-way passage.

**--------------  
**

Aunt Tildy restlessly turned to her other side, facing away from the entry doors and windows. She let out a deep sigh...and thought briefly, _My, it sure is quiet out there tonight..._Even without any moonlight her necklace and medallion glinted from what little light there was.

He opened the door quietly and then quickly made a dash towards the sleeping figure in the bed. He stepped up, raised the dagger in the air then made two swipes across the neck with it. This move was made such so that both carotid arteries would be severed nearly instantaneously. There would be little chance of any struggle or screams that way.

She grunted at the reception of his well executed dagger attack and her eyes flew open, and it seemed to take her far too long to realize that hot blood-_her_ blood, was spilling from her body all too quickly. Her mouth opened in shock, but no cries erupted. Her strength faded with each breath she tried to take, to no avail. Then, Aunt Tildy quietly faded from existence…her eyes permanently locked on something no mortal could see.

He noticed the job he had done and quickly appraised it. _Well done..._

Aunt Tildy was surrounded and soaked by a rapidly spreading wash of her own blood. But this didn't stop him from taking the necklace from around her neck. He held it up and laughed a little. And grinning with pride and from the exaltation of a murder well done, he said to himself quietly_, "Phase two of the demoralization process has begun_!" It was time to move on.

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Koromiel: I know...I know...we can't seem to stop using lines from Shakespeare for titles and such. But as promised, I posted this chapter! Hope y'all enjoyed it as much as we had writing it. And yes...I acutally did more than the usual editing and re-arranging of sentences... o.O! But of course, Phoenix does most the work. Anyway, we're about to finish Part One here...and then things will get _really _interesting in Part Two. So! Until next time! Also, big hugs to the people who read this chapter after chapter...we know it's long and we're glad you're still hanging around and actually make the time to read this!


	38. Perchance to Dream

_Chapter 38 Perchance to Dream:_

_:That Induction ceremony was a bore don't you think so Xirthan? _It was the two days after the ceremony and Aine was headed towards the Companion's stables to, as she put it so blithely to one of her classmates, 'attend to the grooming of her Companion between classes.'

Xirthan shuffled in the stall, awaiting the arrival of his Chosen. _:Truth be told, it didn't do anything for me either love.: _

Aine laughed at Xirthan's matter of fact declaration. _:Well thank the gods that's over now...I want more hand to hand combat, some more weapons training! _She made mock fighting gestures and sword slashes as she walked along. Then, Aine entered the comparatively darker and dustier air inside the stable.

_:Hmph, well what about the other classes? those are important too you know.: _Xirthan directed his now inscrutable gaze toward's Aine as she entered.

"Do I have to go to _all _of those?" she asked outloud now with a slight tone of mock dread to her query.

_:Yes dear, _all _of them. You never know when, well let's say with accounting for example, when it will be of a major help to you someday.:_

Aine rolled her eyes, then used MindSpeech this time._ :I've already had my share of money managing; being a merchant and a member of the Merchant's Guild isn't my cup of tea.: _All at once, crystal clear images of Constance and Gerard, her mother and father, popped up in her mind. It startled her a little. She remembered the ugly conversation with them when she wanted to strike out on her own. Aine continued with slight annoyance. _:Annnddd, pleasee, don't call me 'dear' Xirthan I hate that word!_

Xirthan snorted heartily and seemed to feel a little nonplussed for the moment. A rare thing to see in Xirthan.

Aine yawned, then smiled a little, turned toward Xirthan and said outloud, "Sorry about that Xirthan, I - I'm a little irritable for some reason." I didn't mean to -"

_:I know Love, and don't worry about it. We'll just concentrate on being the best we can to and with each other, okay?. _Xirthan winked at her.

Aine noticed that. And she began petting and caressing his mane and graceful silk-white neck now. Ske looked into his luminous blue eyes and said, "It's a deal. I like the word love better Xirthan, in fact...well...I love you very much, you kind of grow on me." To Aine's surprise she became a little misty eyed here. "It seems very spiritual."

_:I share the same sentiments Aine.:_

Aine was getting more obviously tired now and Xirthan wanted to warn her, yet Aine persisted in her desire 'just to take a little nap' in between classes. At this point of time between classes there didn't seem to be any other Trainees or Companions present nearby. "I'm just going to take a little catnap Xirthan," she said outloud. Outside she noticed some of the students running by, shouting exclamations and laughter, through the split in the fading wood of the stable wall.

Xirthan knew, of course, that convention, punctuality and studiousness were very important for Herald Trainees. He refrained from lecturing her at this point though. She just wanted a little rest. There was a little time yet before the next class...Xirthan finished with the seemingly endless chewing of his hay. He decided it was time to lie down too. Not being an ordinary horse, or even one at all for that matter, he could do this. _:Open the door, Aine please, I need to stretch out a little, maybe I'll rest with you here for a little while: _With a bow and a sweeping gesture of her arm, Aine opened the door to his stall. He sighed lightly, then gracefully laid down upon the dusty ground. He didn't want his Chosen to lie down in all the dirt and hay. He would offer himself up as a resting place.

Aine took the cue. She laid down, with her head looking up at the rafters above, upon Xirthan's 'chest' area. Her golden, lengthy hair splayed out around her head and spread out upon him. A sunbeam from the hole in the wall had aimed itself at just below Xirthan's head, thus giving a soft glow to Aine's hair.

Xirthan whickered a little at her. _:Now you're falling asleep again, it won't be my fault if you are late for class. As a matter of fact I will refuse to wake you up, you must learn on your own how to:_ -

Aine was opening and closing her mouth repeatedly, making little lip smacking and tongue clucking noises in the manner some people do before just falling asleep, then she sighed. It was either that or she was mocking Xirthan's mindspeech again...

Xirthan snorted as Aine quickly fell asleep. Her head lolled down upon him and the rest of her body relaxed. If possible she looked even more beautiful in sleep, with her strong yet lithe figure curled up in the fetal position. The serene look on her face indicated no thought of care or stress. She certainly looked no_ less _attractive while asleep. It was too late now for any intervention though, and Xirthan would, of course, stick to his intention not to intervene on her behalf as he noticed now she was already deep in sleep. She needed to further develop her independence.

Xirthan thought about things for a while, and tried to think of some innocuous reason, some kind of alibi for her should he be inquired about where Aine was. He hated to lie and thought seriously about this. He then considered he would deal with the situation as it came. Perhaps she would come around soon.

Aine's eyes began to move around behind her closed eyelids. She fell into a dream...

**It's been a while since an update. I am curious to know if any reviewer would like to let me know what they think about the story thus far. I will be going back and editing and polishing it up a bit (because of new acquired knowledge as well). Then we would like to continue with the second half. **


	39. Who's who?

**39** Who's Who?

There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

A man or a woman is not old until regrets take the place of dreams. ..

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There was a sudden sense of the body plummeting and the shock that went along with 'the dream fall'. Aine seemed to be confused as to what was really was going on. She continued her sleep on Xirthan's (who was now sleeping as well) comfortable and warm body. She was having fleeting and jumbled up images flying across the theatre of her mind. There was this impossibly tall tree which seemed to reach to the very heavens above. She felt like she should know about this tree but did not attach any significance to it in her dream...she struggled to remember. It seemed vitally important that she should know. She looked up at the tree and suddenly found herself feeling intimidated and insignificant standing underneath it's vast height.

Behind her eyelids the rapid eye movements indicating her dream state became more intense and frantic now. Xirthan gradually came to view in her mind. He appeared spectral in the darkness there, with a whitish glow around his supple and lean body. He was walking towards her, and his mane was flowing and rippling gently as if in a gentle breeze but he didn't appear to be moving any closer to her. Like a 'jack in the box', a view of his head suddenly appeared, almost as if they were seeing eye to eye now. Aine was beginning to forget who she was, there seemed to be a dissolving away of her identity along with a growing sense of panic. Xirthan's deep eyes glowed a luminous blue, and she felt that if she looked into his eyes long enough and deep enough that some kind of answer or explanation would become more clear to her. Now, she felt as if Xirthan was staring right through her, not noticing her at all. The vision of him slowly faded then and she seemed to hear him whisper, "You must know, you _must_, your life depends on it..."

A sense of fear suffused her being like warm blood and she felt impelled to ask, "Know what? _Who_ I am, or is it the _tree_?"

...your life depends on it." The whispering faded and became replaced with an eerie silence.

Then, all visions vanished as if blown away by an errant wind and Aine felt as if she were becoming lighter, beginning to float away. She lost sense of who she was and she seemed to see a woman lying down below her upon what seemed to be a bed, yet somehow she knew that it was not a bed. She tried to see what it was but this 'bed' only appeared more anomalous the harder she tried to make out what it was. She had the extremely odd sensation of watching herself dream outside of the dream along with an alternating sense of phasing back and forth between her 'selves' inside the dream. _Who am I, who's that woman below me?...she looks familiar somehow, _she thought from her dream. It seemed to her that things were beginning to spin wildly out of control along with an increasing sense of bewildering anxiety...

Still experiencing a kind of 'out of the body' sensation, a transformation, rather a _'metamorposis,' _seemed to be taking place with whoever was lying down below her. She watched with a frozen fear as she realized -

_There was an abrupt flash of blinding light. A riotous confusion of images and a sense of an undefined cruelty about to become clear. There was a profusion of dust in the air along with the thudding sounds of many hoofbeats.There were flashing blades and a scream_**. Nooo not the baby nooo!**

- she realizedthat this person on the 'bed' below her was writhing and moving around restlessly. The twisting and the restlessness subsided gradually with 'other person's' face actually transforming as she watched. It was happening slowly and seemingly without any deterioration of the skin; the face changed and merged with itself with the new features now becoming more clear. Still 'floating' up above, still sensing a strange new kind of duality, she became more aware -

_There was a sense _ _of a wild struggle, a sense that this madness must stop now! There was blood, crying, and a sense of swooning shock_. "Stop! Stop! **Fenix! **Stopppp! He's **dead! **Stop!" A wash of blood flowing over her, so it seemed, mercifully erased this vision from the theatre of her mind.

- she became more aware of..._ that_ name. The utterance of it hit her almost as if it were a physical blow. There was a sense of an increasing bewilderment coupled along with these dawning revelations, yet the strange dream sensation continued. It was -

- "Fenix!" she realized. It was him upon the bed or whatever he was now lying on. _And I am Aine_, she realized. She sensed an inner agony within him. She must come down, she must awaken and go down to help him. She felt herself drawing near to him. She wanted to kiss him, help ease his pain. She settled down upon him; there was an odd sensation that the two of them had merged. She must -

_:Aine! Wake up! There's still a chance you may only be a couple minutes late for your class:._

Aine slowly came to. She had rolled off Xirthan, who was now back in his stall. She felt that strong sense of disorientation which occurs after being woken suddenly from the middle of a dream. She rubbed her eyes, feeling very dazed and said outloud, "Two minutes Xirthan? It felt more like two _hours!" _Now she felt _really_ panicky. "I will suffer-"

_:Indeed Chosen, we might suffer a little trying to explain certain events Aine:._

_:Like explain what Xirthan? I don't like the sounds of that:. _She was still trying to dispel that 'dream fog' which persisted in staying with her. 'The dream...the dream...something about it', she thought to herself and then with a slight gasp said outloud, "Fenix! What happened?"

Xirthan looked at Aine with concern_. :You, well...I woke up because of your restlessness and you didn't look like yourself - you had transformed - and guess who walked in and saw what was happening?_

Aine was not liking the gist of all this at all. "Simon Dewwart?" she asked, thinking to herself that if it was him they were doomed for sure.

_:One of the stablehands - Agister - came in seeing you just before you rolled off of me. He said, "_Well, well what do we have here? Fenix sleeping with Aine's Companion and both of you late for class...so where's Aine huh?" he chuckled. _At this point I decided nothing was the best thing to do...then deal with it later:_

Aine gasped and was afraid to ask but she did anyways "Agister? Cadge! I know him, he wouldn't, no!" She made an imploring gesture, prompting Xirthan to go on, "Then..."

_:Then he rubbed his hands gleefully and said," _Wait 'til everyone hears about this!"

"Oh the gods Xirthan, now what!"

_:Well thank the gods for one thing, you transformed back to your normal self almost immediately after Agister ran out:._

_:But, but Xirthan! If this gets out what are we going to do:_ Aine was too befuddled at this point to say or think of anything rational.

_:Don't worry love, I quickly mindspoke with Azura, you know, Rowland's Companion. I am quite certain Agister would run to Rowland and blab the latest news. He would have advance warning, and of course then we would have to appear before Rowland with some kind of an explanation:. _Xirthan nodded his handsome head and then _:I am quite certain we can prevent this little fire from spreading Aine. The question is now, what are we going to do with this new shapeshifting skill of yours:_

Aine had no idea, no idea whatsoever.

**finis**


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